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Pope accuses priest's victims of slander


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Pope accuses priest's victims of slander

Pope Francis has infuriated victims of Chile's most notorious pedophile, accusing them of slander.

Nicole Winfield
Associated PressJanuary 20, 201812:36am

Pope Francis has accused victims of Chile's most notorious pedophile of slander.

The pontiff's claims brought an astonishing end to a visit meant to help heal the wounds of a sex abuse scandal that's cost the Catholic Church its credibility in the South American country.

Francis said that until he sees proof that Bishop Juan Barros was complicit in covering up the sex crimes of the Reverand Fernando Karadima, such accusations against Barros are "all calumny."

The pope's remarks drew shock from Chileans and immediate rebuke from victims and their advocates.

They noted the accusers were deemed credible enough by the Vatican that it sentenced Karadima to a lifetime of "penance and prayer" for his crimes in 2011.

A Chilean judge also found the victims to be credible, saying that while she had to drop criminal charges against Karadima because too much time had passed, proof of his crimes wasn't lacking.

"As if I could have taken a selfie or a photo while Karadima abused me and others and Juan Barros stood by watching it all," tweeted Barros' most vocal accuser, Juan Carlos Cruz.

"These people are truly crazy, and the pontiff talks about atonement to the victims. Nothing has changed, and his plea for forgiveness is empty."

The Karadima scandal dominated Francis' visit to Chile and the overall issue of sex abuse and church cover-up was likely to factor into his three-day trip to Peru that began late on Thursday.

http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/pope-accuses-priests-victims-of-slander/news-story/10f4bfe3407f5b8b37243ff20303ca34

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I would love to hear from the catholics here, what do they think of this.

How can anyone follow a church leader when he supports pedophiles and blames victims instead?

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I responded to this already, too disgusted to say it again so I'll just post link here.

 

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/217751-pope-shocks-chile-by-accusing-sex-abuse-victims-of-slander/?do=findComment&comment=2744608

 

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Popes in denial.

"The day I see proof against Bishop Barros, then I will talk. There is not a single piece of evidence against him. It is all slander. Is that clear?"

Pope skips Argentina in Latin America tour

Pope Francis is yet to return to his home country of Argentina since he became the pontiff.

 
ReutersJanuary 21, 20185:46am

Pope Francis has greeted followers in the streets of Buenos Aires - but not in his home country of Argentina.

Instead on Saturday he visited a poor neighbourhood in northern Peru that shares a name with the Argentine capital.

After celebrating Mass for 200,000 people, Francis boarded his Popemobile and reached out to residents of the 75-year-old neighbourhood, which was devastated last year by flooding from an intense El Nino weather phenomenon.

Latin America's first Pope has yet to return home to Argentina as pontiff despite visiting much of the region since his election nearly five years ago. The Vatican has not said why.

His avoidance of Argentina is unusual: John Paul II frequented Poland, and Benedict XVI started his papacy in his native Germany.

Meanwhile, a key US cardinal distanced himself from the Pope's comments on sex abuse, a remarkable move that appeared to underscore divisions in the Catholic Church over how to treat accusations.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston said in a statement "it is understandable" that comments made by the Pope in Chile on Thursday were "a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy or any other perpetrator".

In response to a question from a reporter on accusations against Juan Barros, a Chilean bishop appointed by the Pope in 2015 who is accused of protecting a pedophile, the Pope said: "The day I see proof against Bishop Barros, then I will talk. There is not a single piece of evidence against him. It is all slander. Is that clear?"

The Pope's comments appearing to dismiss the credibility of accusers was widely criticised by victims, their advocates and editorials in Chile and the Pope's native Argentina.

Barros has been accused of protecting his former mentor, Father Fernando Karadima, who was found guilty in a Vatican investigation in 2011 of abusing teenage boys over many years. He denies the allegations and Barros said he was unaware of any wrongdoing. The Barros-Karadima case has riveted Chile for years.

O'Malley's statement on the Pope's choice of language said: "Words that convey the message 'if you cannot prove your claims then you will not be believed' abandon those who have suffered reprehensible criminal violations of their human dignity and relegate survivors to discredited exile."

 

http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/pope-skips-argentina-in-latin-america-tour/news-story/df680716e64a158d43a71154f31cfe57

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