Pope Francis has named Mgr. Andrés Gabriel Ferrada Moreira, a priest from Chile who testified against a mentor who sexually abused numerous boys, as the new secretary of Congregation for the Clergy. The appointment of Archbishop-elect Ferrada signifies a much greater recognition than the Chilean’s recent work at the Vatican. He was one of the Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Chile’
Priest who denounced Chile’s most notorious sex abuser gets key Vatican post
Monday, September 13th, 2021Chilean abuse survivors blast deal between Church and prosecutor
Monday, May 6th, 2019Chilean abuse survivors are unhappy with a recently signed agreement between the Catholic Church in Chile and the local prosecutor’s office. The deal’s critics, including abuse survivors, say it unduly provides protections and privileges to the Church. The agreement was signed on Tuesday by the national prosecutor, Jorge Abbott, and the secretary general of the Read more
Chile’s court orders Catholic Church to compensate abuse victims
Thursday, March 28th, 2019A Chilean court has ordered the country’s Catholic Church to pay compensation to victims in a sex abuse case against influential former priest Fernando Karadima. A unanimous ruling says the Church must pay 100 million pesos ($146,000) for “moral damages” to each of his three victims. Read more
Pope replaces cardinal during worsening sex abuse cover-up
Monday, March 25th, 2019
Pope Francis has accepted Chilean Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati’s resignation and immediately named a temporary replacement. Ezzati’s resignation came after he was placed under criminal investigation in the country’s spiralling church sex abuse and cover-up scandal. Spanish-born Capuchin friar and current bishop of Copiapo, Chile, Monsignor Celestino Aos Braco will replace Ezzati in the interim. Ezzati, Read more
Defrocked: Pope laicises Chilean abuser
Monday, October 1st, 2018
Pope Francis has defrocked (laicised) Chilean child sexual abuser, Fernando Karadima. Juan Carlos Cruz, who is one of Karadima’s abuse survivors, is grateful for Francis’s decision. In a statement on Twitter, he called Karadima “a criminal who has ruined so many people’s lives with his abuse” and offered thanks to Francis, saying he hoped survivors Read more
Pope personally writes to Chilean bishops to thank them
Thursday, August 9th, 2018
Pope Francis has personally written a letter to Chile’s bishops to thank them for changes they have made to their response to allegations of sexual abuse by clergy. Francis’s handwritten letter follows the bishops’ formal, written apology for failing to listen to clerical abuse victims. In addition to their apology, the bishops have made a Read more
Pope accepts two more Chilean bishops resignations
Monday, July 2nd, 2018
The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis has accepted resignations from Bishop Alejandro Goic Karmelic of Rancagua and Bishop Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca of Talca. The Chilean bishops failed to protect children from paedophile priests. Goic has served as head of the Chilean church’s child protection commission. The extent of clerical paedophilia in Chile Read more
Chilean bishops open to Pope’s proposals
Thursday, May 17th, 2018Chilean bishops say they are open to whatever Pope Francis proposes to overhaul the Chilean church. This includes removing bishops, reforming seminaries and paying financial reparation to victims of a clergy sex abuse and cover-up scandal. Representatives say they are humbled, pained and shamed for their own errors in handling abuse cases. Read more
The strange Vatican silence over Chile’s abuse survivors
Monday, May 14th, 2018
Just over a week ago, three Chile abuse survivors met Pope Francis, and then gave an important press conference reflecting on the meeting. Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton, and José Andres Murillo said Pope Francis had admitted he was “part of the problem”, and had pledged to do more in future. It’s a bit of Read more
Chilean bishops and Pope discussing reforms following scandal
Monday, May 14th, 2018
Thirty Chilean bishops are in Rome to meet with Pope Francis. Francis summoned them to the Vatican last month. He wants to discuss short, medium and long-term reforms to the church. Francis has admitted he made “grave errors in judgment” about Bishop Juan Barros’s role in covering up sexual abuse perpetrated by Fr Fernando Karadima. Read more