Members of the organization "Laity of Osorno" hold banners that read, "Priest break your silence," as they take part in a protest after a Mass celebrated by special Vatican envoys in Osorno, Chile. Authorities have raided Church offices in Chile on in an effort to obtain documents relating to the recent sex abuse scandal which has sparked the resignation of more than 30 bishops in the country.
During the surprise raid, police seized documents and files relating to the ongoing clergy abuse investigation from the Santiago Ecclesiastical Court and the bishop’s office in Rancagua in central Chile on June 13.
Jorge Abbott, the attorney general, said the goal of the raid was to seek “co-operation in the investigations we are carrying out with respect to abuses suffered by minors,” and noted he was satisfied with the information they gathered from the search.
The archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, said Church officials “gave the prosecutor all the requested documentation,” saying the Church is “available to co-operate with the civilian justice system in all that is required”.
The raid comes just days after Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Juan Barros from his post in the Chilean diocese of Osorno, after he was accused of covering up the crimes of notorious abuser Fr Fernando Karadima.
The Pontiff also accepted the resignation of Archbishop Christian Caro Cordero of Puerto Montt and Bishop Gonzalo Duarte Garcia de Cortazar of Valparaiso, who had reached the normal retirement age for bishops.
So far, the Pope has officially accepted three resignations, although more could follow. All of the country’s active bishops submitted their resignations at the close of a May 15-17 meeting between Francis and the country’s bishops, during which Francis chastised them for the systematic cover-up.
In January, the Vatican began to investigate the claims of alleged child sexual abuse in Chile, which found that for years, many Chilean bishops had not reported claims of sexual abuse.
Before the 2,300-page report on the scandal was published, Pope Francis had originally defended Barros, saying the accusations brought against him were untrue.
Since the investigation, which was headed by Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Msgr Jordi Bertomeu, Pope Francis has offered his apologies, noting he made “serious mistakes” throughout the investigation due to faulty information.