Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

A9
WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 May 2018

Pope to Chile abuse victims: "I was part of the problem"

By NICOLE WINFIELD warned him about the "tox-
Associated Press icity" of the churchmen who
ROME (AP) — The three had "duped him," nam-
whistleblowers in Chile's sex ing the current and former
abuse scandal urged Pope archbishops of Santiago,
Francis on Wednesday to the Vatican's ambassador
transform his apology for to Chile, and members of
having discredited them the Chilean bishops' con-
into concrete action to ference.
end what they called the Hamilton said they will prob-
"epidemic" of sex abuse ably never know the full
and cover-up in the Catho- truth about what the pope
lic Church. knew, but that the impor-
Juan Carlos Cruz, James tant thing is that the pope
Hamilton and Jose Andres now is "very well-informed."
Murillo spoke to reporters He said he was prepared to
Wednesday after spending wait to see what concrete
five days with the pope at action he will take.
his Vatican hotel. Their press "Everybody deserves, espe-
conference was broadcast cially in this case, a second
live in Chile, a sign of the chance," Hamilton said of
unprecedented nature of the pope.
their hours of meetings with The three men didn't say
the pope. what exactly they want
Cruz said that during his Francis to do. But previ-
private encounter with ously, they have called for
Francis, the pope acknowl- Barros and other Karadima-
edged: "I was part of the trained bishops to resign, as
problem. I caused this, and well as a handful of other
I apologize to you." Chilean bishops with poor
"I believe that he was sin- records on dealing with
cere," Cruz said. abuse cases.
Cruz said he believed that Francis has summoned the
Francis was simply misin- entire Chilean bishops con-
formed about the case of ference to Rome later this
Bishop Juan Barros, whom month for a dressing down
the three men have long and to plot reforms in the
accused of having wit- church.
nessed and ignored their In a statement, the men
abuse. said they saw the "friendly
Barros was a protege of the Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednes- face" of the church this
Rev. Fernando Karadima, a day, May 2, 2018. week, after having been
charismatic preacher and Associated Press treated for 10 years as "en-
darling of Chile's conserva- emies" of the Chilean hier-
tive Catholic society who though his victims have though he had received in that the Chilean govern- archy.
was removed from ministry long placed them at the 2015 a letter from Cruz de- ment too had wanted Bar- But they warned that un-
and sentenced by the Vati- scene. tailing Barros' wrongdoing. ros out as the preacher to less Francis takes concrete
can in 2011 to live in pen- Francis had strongly de- Cruz had written to Francis the Chilean armed forces, action, their talks will be in
ance and prayer for having fended Barros during his after the pope overruled and was "surprised" when vain.
sexually abused minors. January trip to Chile, call- opposition from some Chil- Francis named him instead They said abuse and cov-
Barros and other Karadi- ing the accusations against ean bishops and appoint- to head up Osorno. er-up are not just sins "but
ma-trained bishops never him "calumny." He claimed ed him bishop of Osorno. Cruz said he didn't press crimes and corruption that
acknowledged having to have never heard from Just this week, a former the pope on what he knew do not end in Chile but are
witnessed his abuse, even victims about Barros, even Chilean minister revealed or when. But he said he an epidemic."q