Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 22 January 2018

Pope wraps Latin America trip haunted by Chile abuse scandal

By NICOLE WINFIELD and remarks were “a source
CHRISTINE ARMARIO of great pain for survivors
Associated Press of sexual abuse.” He said
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Pope such expressions of disbe-
Francis wrapped up his lief made abuse survivors
visit to Peru on Sunday by feel abandoned and left in
denouncing the plague “discredited exile.”
of corruption sweeping It is also rare for a govern-
through Latin America. But ment to criticize a visit-
controversy over his ac- ing pope. But after the
cusations that Chilean sex remarks, Chilean govern-
abuse victims slandered a ment spokeswoman Paula
bishop continued to cast a Narvaez said there was
shadow over what has be- an “ethical imperative to
come the most contested respect victims of sexual
and violent trip of his pa- abuse, believe them and
pacy. support them.”
A day after his top adviser The issue also had reso-
on sex abuse publicly re- nance in Peru. Last week
buked him for his Chile re- the Vatican took over a Pe-
marks, Francis was remind- ru-based Roman Catholic
ed that the Vatican has lay movement, Sodalitium
faced years of criticism for Christianae Vitae, more
its inaction over a similar than six years after first
sex abuse scandal in Peru. learning of sexual, physical
“Francis, here there IS Pope Francis meets with bishops at the archbishop’s residence in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, and psychological abuse
proof,” read a banner 2018. committed by its founder.
hanging from a Lima build- Associated Press An independent investi-
ing along his motorcade a pope from both church politics into a state of crisis. would only believe victims gation commissioned by
route Sunday. and state. The criticisms “If we fall into the hands with “proof” were problem- the movement found that
The message was a ref- were all the more remark- of people who only under- atic because they were founder Luis Figari sodom-
erence to Francis’ Jan. able given that they came stand the language of cor- already deemed so cred- ized his recruits, forced
18 comments in Iquique, on the Argentina-born ruption, we’re toast,” the ible by the Vatican that it them to fondle him and
Chile, that there was not pontiff’s home turf in Latin Argentine pope said in un- sentenced Karadima to a one another, liked to watch
“one shred of proof” that America. scripted remarks. lifetime of “penance and them “experience pain,
a protege of Chile’s most Francis tried to move be- It was the second time prayer” in 2011 based on discomfort and fear” and
notorious pedophile priest, yond the scandal Sun- Francis addressed corrup- their testimony. A Chilean humiliated them in front of
the Rev. Fernando Karad- day, joking with cloistered tion during his visit to Peru, judge also found the vic- others. Figari’s victims have
ima, knew of Karadima’s nuns that they were tak- where Kuczynski narrowly tims to be credible, saying criticized the Vatican for its
abuse and did nothing to ing advantage of his visit escaped impeachment that while she had to drop years of inaction and for
stop it.Karadima’s victims to finally get out and get a over his ties to Odebrecht charges against Karadima eventually sanctioning him
have accused the bishop, breath of fresh air. And he in December. The compa- because too much time with what they considered
Juan Barros, of complicity denounced a corruption ny has admitted to paying had passed, proof of his a “golden exile” — retire-
in the cover-up. Barros has scandal in Latin America hundreds of millions of dol- crimes wasn’t lacking. ment in Italy at a retreat
denied the accusations, that has even implicated lars in bribes to politicians Those same victims ac- house, albeit separated
and Francis backed him by his Peruvian host, President throughout the region in cused Barros of witnessing from the community he
saying the victims’ claims Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. exchange for lucrative the abuse and standing by. founded.
were “all calumny.” In a meeting with bishops, public works contracts. It is extremely rare for a The banner hanging from
His comments sparked Francis said the bribery Francis was greeted by cardinal to publicly criti- the building along Francis’
such an outcry that both scandal centered on Brazil- cheering crowds at nearly cize a pope, but Cardinal motorcade route referred
the Chilean government ian construction giant Ode- every stop of his Peruvian Sean O’Malley, the arch- to evidence against Figari
and his own top adviser brecht was “just a small an- trip. But the cloud of the bishop of Boston and head and featured a photo of
on abuse stepped in to ecdote” of the corruption church’s sex abuse scan- of Francis’ own commit- him. Peruvian prosecutors
publicly rebuke him — an and graft that has thrown dal trailed him. tee of experts on the issue, recently announced they
extraordinary correction of much of Latin American Francis’ remarks that he said Saturday that Francis’ wanted to arrest him.q