The pope accepted the resignation of the archbishop of Chile investigated for concealing abuses

In a statement, the Vatican said that the pontiff had appointed Bishop Celestino Aós Braco, bishop of the city of Copiapó, in northern Chile, as follows: "apostolic administrator" responsible for the archdiocese of Santiago.

"It's an appointment for a vacant seat until the Pope appoints a new archbishop for the pastoral government of the archdiocese"said in a statement the Apostolic Nunciature in Chile.

The announcement came one day after a Chilean court dismissed an appeal to suspend an investigation against Ezzati for alleged concealment of abuses by priests.

In May last year, 34 Chilean bishops submitted their resignations to Pope Francis after attending an emergency meeting in Rome to address the allegations and cover up the abuses.

This was an unprecedented step for the Catholic Church and the pontiff has accepted many resignations in recent months.

Ezzati, 77, has been charged with covering cases of badual abuse by religious, although no charges have been brought against him. The cardinal denies having been involved and decided in October to exercise his right to remain silent after being summoned by the local prosecutor's office.

Among the allegations related to Ezzati, the case of Oscar Muñoz, former senior adviser of the Archdiocese of Santiago, who is currently the subject of a trial for alleged rape of minors.

The scandals of religious abuse of minors have plunged the Catholic Church into its worst crisis in modern history and has damaged its image among the faithful around the world. The pope promised to take concrete steps to solve this problem.

In Chile, justice investigates more than a hundred cases related to priests or religious, many of them have been denounced for crimes committed decades ago. The nunciature of Santiago said that after the Pope's decision, nine of the 27 ecclesiastical jurisdictions are vacant.