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SANTIAGO, Chile – Pope Francis has defrocked a once-prominent priest whose case has been the focus of public outrage over clerical sexual abuse and concealment in Chile, in a rare decision by Vatican officials . shaken the Catholic Church here and around the world.
The priest, Reverend Fernando Karadima, was convicted of sexual offenses by the Vatican as early as 2011. But his case has turned out to be particularly toxic to Francis, who has long defended a bishop accused of the crime. have concealed, including during a visit to Chile in January.
A month later, after a storm of protest, Francis sent investigators into the sex crimes in the country, starting a turnaround that led to the resignation of the 34 Catholic bishops in Chile.
"This is another step in Pope Francis' resolute stand against abuses," Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said of the decision to unload, announced on Friday. We were faced with a very serious case of putrefaction that had to be rooted out of its roots. "
Mr. Burke described the move as "an exceptional measure", justified by the fact that "Mr. Karadima's grave breaches caused exceptional damage in Chile."
The investigators, led by Charles Scicluna, archbishop of Malta and veteran of justice at the Vatican, published a damning report of 2,300 pages, concluding to a "culture of abuse" and a tendency to inaction and concealment in the Chilean church. He accused church officials of failing to investigate credible allegations – even going so far as to destroy documents to conceal them – and to transfer priests accused of abuse in other parishes.
After receiving the report, the Pope invited three of Karadima's victims to the Vatican to hear their testimonies and ask for their pardon.
In May, he summoned to Rome the whole of the Chilean Episcopal Conference. All offered to resign. Until now, Pope Francis has accepted seven resignations, including those of Bishop Barros, another disciple bishop of Mr. Karadima, and other accused of sexual misconduct.
Jaime Coiro, deputy general secretary of the Episcopal Conference, said: "Causing a major fracture in the church is one of the main reasons why a clergy member was defrocked, and the Karadima affair resulted in a major fracture. in the Chilean church. as the Scicluna report shows. "
The de-icing took effect immediately, which means that Mr. Karadima is no longer a priest, but he can still be part of the church as a lay member and, for example, take communion.
During the last two decades in Chile, at least 17 of 44 clergy convicted of abuses by the Vatican (26) or criminal courts (18) were expelled from the church or removed from the clerical state, Coiro said.
The papal decision came nearly eight years after the Vatican first recorded Karadima, who was busy with wealthy conservatives in Santiago, the Chilean capital, in a life of "prayer and penance." the crimes.
At first, the revelations did not arouse the indignation of Mr. Karadima, but the incredulity and anger of his accusers. In 2011, a Chilean judge ruled that the charges against him were "truthful and reliable", but he dismissed the charges because of the expiry of the five-year limitation period.
The persistence of the victims and the shocking details of their mistreatment by a previously revered priest triggered what appears to be an irreversible movement against Chile's leadership misconduct.
Nearly 170 clergy are facing criminal investigation for abusing or covering them, including seven bishops and the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, who will be interviewed early October by prosecutors for concealment of sexual crimes.
In recent months, prosecutors have raided church offices in the capital and in other cities and confiscated cases containing alleged violations that have never been reported to the authorities. . This wealth of evidence has led to the opening of dozens of criminal investigations.
The number of public prosecutor's office cases increased from 36 in July to 119 in September, involving 178 victims. The number of men and women charged with these offenses increased from 68 to 167.
In a public statement issued after the Vatican informed Karadima of his defrocking, Cardinal Ezzati promised to collaborate to "repair all the damage done to the victims and to anyone who has suffered or suffers".
This month, the Pope defrocked another Chilean priest, Reverend Cristián Precht, who in the 1970s was director of the Catholic Church's Solidarity Vicariate, the country's leading human rights organization. the dictatorship of Pinochet. In 2012, the Vatican sentenced Precht to a five-year suspension for "abusive behavior". He is currently under new investigation due to new allegations that occurred after the end of the suspension.
"All this is extremely important and I am grateful to the pope," said Juan Carlos Cruz, one of Mr Karadima's victims. "I hope this is a sign of radical action against senior church officials accused of abuse or complicity, not only in Chile, but also in d. other parts of the world. "
Mr. Karadima, 88 years old, lives in a retirement home located in an upscale neighborhood of Santiago, at the expense of the office of the archbishop. Now that he is no longer a priest, his belief of being isolated has been lifted and he can move freely, but the church will no longer support him.
