Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 29 September 2018
Pope defrocks Chilean priest at center of abuse scandal

By NICOLE WINFIELD he had witnessed Karadi-
Associated Press ma's abuse and ignored it.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis had claimed that
Francis has defrocked a the accusations against
Chilean priest who was a Barros were "calumny" and
central character in the politically motivated, and
global sex abuse scandal he defended his 2015 deci-
rocking his papacy, invok- sion to appoint Barros bish-
ing his "supreme" author- op of a small Chilean dio-
ity to stiffen an earlier sen- cese over the objections of
tence because of the "ex- the faithful and many in the
ceptional amount of dam- Chilean hierarchy.
age" the priest's crimes had After realizing that some-
caused. thing was amiss, Francis
In a statement Friday, the ordered a Vatican inves-
Vatican said Francis had tigation that uncovered
laicized 88-year-old Rev. decades of abuse and
Fernando Karadima, who cover-ups by the Chilean
was originally sanctioned church leadership. Francis
in 2011 to live a lifetime of apologized to the victims,
"penance and prayer" for inviting Cruz and fellow sur-
having sexually abused vivors James Hamilton and
minors in the upscale San- Jose Andres Murillo to the
tiago parish he ran. In this Nov. 11, 2015 file photo, Fernando Karadima is escorted from a court, after testifying in a Vatican for four days of
The Vatican said Francis case that three of his victims brought against the country's Catholic Church in Santiago, Chile. talks. He set about making
was doing so for "the good Associated Press amends, including getting
of the church." evidence or crime that abuse after a series of mis- survivors feel a bit of relief every active bishop in Chile
"It is without doubt an ex- prompted Francis to re- steps by Francis and accu- today." While some conser- to offer to resign.
ceptional measure, but visit the case and impose sations by a former Vatican vative critics might bristle at To date, he has accepted
Karadima's grave crimes what clergy consider to be ambassador that Francis another display of raw pa- seven of the more than
have caused exceptional the equivalent of a death had rehabilitated a now- pal power from the Argen- 30 resignations offered, in-
damage in Chile," Vatican sentence. It said he acted disgraced former Ameri- tine Jesuit, U.S. canon law- cluding that of Barros.
spokesman Greg Burke out of his conscience and can cardinal early on in his yer Nick Cafardi said Fran- It was the second time in
said. as a pastor, referencing papacy. cis was acting fully within a month that Francis has
The "penance and prayer" the canon that lays out The move was welcomed his legal right to revisit the laicized a Chilean priest,
sanction has been the Vati- the pope's "supreme, full, by Chilean victims as over- case since there's no such after five years in which the
can's punishment of choice immediate and universal due. thing as double jeopardy Vatican appeared to favor
for elderly priests convicted power" to serve the people "I never thought I'd see this in canon law. "The pope less drastic sentences.
of raping and molesting of God. day," said Juan Carlos Cruz, has the ability to intensify a On Sept. 15, the arch-
children. It has long been The statement said the a survivor of Karadima's penalty," Cafardi said in an diocese of Santiago an-
criticized by victims as too decree, signed Thursday, abuse who has been a key email. nounced that Francis had
soft and essentially an all- takes effect immediately driver in pushing for justice Francis sparked a crisis in defrocked the Rev. Chris-
expenses-paid retirement, and that Karadima was in- for victims and an overhaul his papacy earlier this year tian Precht, citing the Latin
and Karadima's whistle- formed of it Friday. of the Chilean church hier- when he strongly defend- terminology — "ex officio et
blowers had pressed for it The decision appeared archy. ed one of Karadima's pro- pro bono Ecclesiae" — on
to be toughened. aimed at showing a get- Thanking Francis, Cruz tégés, Bishop Juan Barros, his own authority and for
The Vatican cited no new tough approach to sex tweeted: "I hope many against accusations that the good of the church.q

Teens open fire in Brazil school,

leaving 3 injured

Associated Press .22-caliber pistol, ammu- out of the school when the
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Two nition and several home- shooting began.
teenage students opened made explosives. Police Inspector Denis
fire at a school in southeast- Two students suffered light Zortea Merino told G1 that
ern Brazil on Friday, leaving wounds to their legs and the shooters said they were
three students injured. were released after being victims of bullying.
The shooting happened treated at a local hospital. One of them reportedly
at the Joao Manoel Mon- One 18-year-old student said he was humiliated and
drone school in the city was shot in the back near treated with contempt at
of Medianeira in Parana the spinal cord and was school.
state. listed in serious condition, Brazil, Latin America's larg-
In a statement, the state's police said. est nation, has long strug-
police department said the Police found the shooters gled to curb violence. The
This photo provided by the news site Guiamedianeira, shows a two 15-year-old students hiding in a classroom and country is notorious for hav-
gun, knives, and other items that were carried by a teenager rushed into the school and took them into custody. ing the highest number of
that opened fire on students at a school in Medianeira, Parana shot fellow students at ran- Cell phone video posted homicides in the world, with
state, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 28, 2018. dom. Police said the teen- on the G1 news outlet a record 63,880 slain last
Associated Press
agers were armed with a showed students running year.q