Pope evicts Chilean bishops accused of sexual abuse
Pope evicts Chilean bishops accused of sexual abuse
ROME: Pope Francis overthrew two retired Chilean bishops accused of sexual abuse of minors, in his latest effort to address mistreat scandals that have shaken The traditionally Catholic country of South America and the church around the world.
The Vatican said on Saturday that the Pope had fired Francisco José Cox Huneeus, a retired 84-year-old archbishop of La Serena, and Marco Antonio Órdenes Fernández, 53, retired bishop of Iquique, from the priesthood.
The two men will be prohibited from celebrating mass, administering the sacraments or identifying themselves as priests. The Vatican noted that Mr. Cox will remain a member of his religious order, the Schoenstatt Fathers.
It was not possible to contact Mr. Cox or Mr. Órdenes to make comments.
During the past month, the Pope has expelled four prominent Chilean priests accused of sexual abuse, with the Catholic Church mired in a global scandal. of clerical abuse and strong criticism about the handling of cases by the Pope.
In 2009, Mr. Órdenes was accused of sexual abuse by a man who said he was 15 years old when it began in the late 1990s. In 2012, when the accusation was made public, Mr. Órdenes admitted that he had a "reckless" relationship with the man, but denied that the accuser was a minor at that time, according to the Chilean media.
Mr. Cox was accused by a dozen people of abuse for decades, according to a lay association in La Serena. Earlier this month, he refused to discuss the allegations when he confronted a Chilean television crew in Germany, where he now lives.
"We will do everything possible to extradite him, to condemn him here in Chile," said Juan Rojas, a spokesman for the lay organization.
Saturday's announcement comes a month after Cristián Precht, a priest known for his defense of human rights during Chile's brutal military dictatorship in the 70s and 80s, was expelled after accusations of sexual abuse of children. He denies those charges.
At the end of last month, the Pope overthrew Fernando Karadima, an influential priest in Santiago who was accused in 2010 of molesting minors in his parish. A Vatican investigation in 2011 concluded that he was guilty of the abuse and ordered him to live a life of prayer and penance. Mr. Karadima has denied the allegations of abuse.
The scandal about Mr. Karadima overshadowed the The Pope's visit to Chile earlier this year., resulting in a violent reaction that has shaken the church in the last nine months. Pope Francis was criticized for his defense of Bishop Juan Barros, whose victims said they had witnessed abuses by Mr. Karadima and did not report him when they both served as priests in Santiago in the 1980s. Bishop Barros has denied the accusations.
Pope Francisco meets with Chilean President Sebastián Pinerab at the Vatican on Saturday.
Photo:
Alessandro Bianchi / Agence France-Presse / Getty Images
During his visit, the Pope accused the victims of slander, but then he apologized and acknowledged that he had committed "serious errors" due to the erroneous information provided about the case. In May, all countries 34 bishops offered to resign and the Pope denounced a "culture of abuse" in the Chilean church. The Pope has accepted The resignation of Bishop Barros. and another six to date.
Chilean prosecutors have launched extensive investigations into decades of child abuse by employees.
In a statement, Schoenstatt representatives in Chile said he was "embarrassed" by the damage caused by Mr. Cox. He asked him to undergo a medical examination to see if he could travel to Chile. "We support this decision for justice and truth, for the good of the whole church," he said.
The Episcopal Conference of Chile apologized to the victims of abuse. "The Bishops of the Episcopal Conference continue our path of ecclesiastical renewal," he said.
Juan Carlos Cruz, a leading Chilean victim of clerical abuse, said the news was "a good day for the victims of these monsters."
"Two less pedophile bishops," he said on Twitter. "Now it's the turn of the Chilean justice to do something."
Also on Saturday, Pope Francis met with Chilean President Sebastián Piñera. According to a Vatican statement after the meeting, the two leaders discussed, among other issues, the "painful scourge of child abuse, reiterating the commitment of all to combat and prevent the commission of such crimes and their concealment."
Write to Francis x rocca in francis.rocca@wsj.com and Ryan Dube in ryan.dube@dowjones.com
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