CHILE
La Prensa

Santiago de Chile, Feb 17 (EFE).- Fifty-one members of the Chilean Parliament have signed a letter asking Pope Francis to reverse the appointment of the Bishop of Osorno, Juan Barros, due to allegations of covering up sexual abuse.

Presented Monday for delivery to Rome, the letter accuses the new bishop of the Osorno diocese, 940 kilometers (584 miles) south of Santiago, of covering up sexual abuses committed by the Chilean priest Fernando Karadima.

“The letter aims to condemn acts of sexual abuse in the Church, as the Pope has done (and) we believe that he must have sufficient information to review this nomination,” legislator Fidel Espinoza told Bio-Bio radio.

The appointment was announced by the Holy See on Jan. 10.

Karadima, an influential octogenarian priest was found guilty in 2011 by the Vatican of committing sexual abuse and sentenced to a life of prayer and penance.

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