Colm Fitzpatrick
Malta’s Archbishop Charles Scicluna An investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and cover-up in Chile will continue despite the prelate tasked with leading it having been admitted to hospital for gallbladder surgery, it has been announced.
Malta’s Archbishop Charles Scicluna was in Chile to meet with survivors of abuse from Fr Fernando Karadima, who in 2011 was found guilty by the Vatican of sexual abuse.
Several survivors, notably the US-based Juan Carlos Cruz, have said Osorno’s Bishop Juan Barros had – while a seminarian – witnessed them being abused, with one accusing Dr Barros of having destroyed a complaint about Fr Karadima.
Dr Barros, who was ordained as a bishop in 1995, has denied these allegations, and in 2015 was appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Diocese of Osorno. At his installation Mass some 3,000 demonstrators gathered at Osorno’s cathedral to protest against the appointment.
Pope Francis said he was “personally convinced” Bishop Barros was telling the truth when he insisted he had no knowledge of Father Karadima’s history of abusing minors.
The Pope’s decision to have Archbishop Scicluna investigate the alleged cover-up was prompted by “recently received information” in the case of Bishop Barros, the Vatican has said.
Mr Cruz, who now lives and works in Philadelphia, met for nearly four hours on February 17 with Dr Scicluna, saying afterwards that this was the first time he felt Church officials had listened to how as a seminarian he had been abused by Fr Karadima.
In a statement to reporters, Mr Cruz called his meeting “a good experience”, describing it as emotional and at times “very intense and very detailed”. He also said he thought it was “eye-opening” for the archbishop.
“I leave here very hopeful today,” Mr Cruz told reporters after the meeting. He called Dr Scicluna “a very good man, and I think he was sincerely moved by what I was saying. He cried”.
Mr Cruz also said he gave Dr Scicluna the names of people he believes were involved in concealing abuse by Father Karadima as well as the names of other victims of the priest.
Although Dr Scicluna is now in Santiago’s San Carlos de Apoquindo Hospital, his investigation will continue with a Spanish priest who had been assisting him conducting interviews on his behalf.