IMAGE: CNS photo/Claudio Santana, Reuters
By Jane Chambers
SANTIAGO, Chile (CNS) — Chilean
clergy sex abuse victims gave testimony to a Vatican team sent to investigate
charges that church officials covered up the abuse.
But many of the victims gave their
testimony to a Spanish-speaking Vatican official after the main Vatican envoy
underwent emergency surgery.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta
underwent emergency gallbladder surgery in Chile Feb. 21. The next day, on
Twitter, the archbishop thanked “all those who have kindly expressed their
support and generously offered their prayers as I continue in my recovery. God
bless!”
Archbishop Scicluna decided to make
the trip to Chile even though he was not feeling well. While listening to
testimony Feb. 20, he started feeling worse, but was determined to finish the
day. He went to the hospital for a checkup later that evening.
After Archbishop Scicluna was
hospitalized, Spanish Father Jordi Bertomeu Farnos, an official of the Vatican
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, continued hearing testimony. He
also met with some Catholics from Osorno, a town in the south of Chile.
Abuse victims allege that Osorno
Bishop Juan Barros — then a priest — had witnessed their abuse by his mentor,
Father Fernando Karadima. In 2011, Father Karadima was sentenced to a life of
prayer and penance by the Vatican after he was found guilty of sexually abusing
boys. Father Karadima denied the charges; he was not prosecuted civilly because
the statute of limitations had run out.
The victims’ spokesman, Juan Carlos
Claret, said he was glad they could meet with Father Bertomeu.
“Unlike Scicluna, he’s a native
Spanish speaker, so he doesn’t need a translator to help with our
conversations,” Claret told Catholic News Service.
Claret said the controversy over
Bishop Barros was dividing the Catholic community, and many people do not want
a bishop they are convinced covered up for Father Karadima.
Pope Francis sent Archbishop
Scicluna and Father Bertomeu to Chile after a controversy that reignited during
the papal visit to Chile in January. Speaking to reporters, Pope Francis
supported Bishop Barros and said, “The day they bring me proof against
Bishop Barros, I will speak. There is not one piece of evidence against him. It
is calumny.”
He later apologized to victims and admitted
that his choice of words wounded many.
After their meeting with the Spanish
priest, Claret and the other members of his team said they were very pleased
that they are finally getting a chance to be heard. He said they spoke about
the atmosphere in Osorno and how it is affecting the people living there.
Officials expect it will take
Archbishop Scicluna up to 72 hours to recover and said he is determined to carry
on with the hearings.
Archbishop Scicluna is president of
a board of review within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; the
board handles appeals filed by clergy accused of abuse or other serious crimes.
The archbishop also had 10 years of experience as the Vatican’s chief
prosecutor of clerical sex abuse cases at the doctrinal congregation.
On Feb. 20, the archbishop spoke to
Chilean James Hamilton, who first met Father Karadima many years ago as a
teenager in his parish in Santiago. Hamilton’s testimony about his abuse helped
lead to Father Karadima’s conviction by the Vatican.
After Hamilton met with Archbishop
Scicluna, he said, “I am sure that the information that comes from these
talks will be truthful and sincere.”
Hamilton criticized Chilean church
leaders, claiming they were “even capable of misleading the pope.”
Hamilton accuses them of blocking his and other victims’ efforts to have their
voices heard by the Vatican.
Jaime Coiro, spokesman for the
Chilean bishops, said of the investigation, “This is a process where
people are invited to be listened to, but there will be no response until the
investigation is complete.”
Before coming to Chile, Archbishop
Scicluna traveled to New York to hear from another of Father Karadima’s
victims, Juan Carlos Cruz.
Cruz called the four-hour meeting “a
good experience … I feel that I was heard, it was very intense and very
detailed and sometimes eye-opening for them.”
During their visit to Chile, the
Vatican team was scheduled to hold around 20 meetings with people who want to
denounce Bishop Barros. All of them have been asked to send written documents
containing their accusations.
“The pope needs to understand
that is what survivors need — to be heard,” said Cruz.
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