Confirman reunión reservada del Papa con víctimas de abusos sexuales por religiosos

CONCEPCIÓN, CHILE
BioBioChile

>>Confirmed meeting of the Pope reserved with victims of sexual abuse by religious

January 16, 2018

By Alberto González

El papa Francisco se reunió este martes con un grupo de víctimas de abusos sexuales por parte de sacerdotes, según informó el portavoz del romano pontífice.

“El Santo Padre se ha reunido hoy en la Nunciatura Apostólica de Santiago de Chile, después del almuerzo, con un pequeño grupo de víctimas de abusos sexuales por parte de sacerdotes”, reza un comunicado enviado por el Vaticano.

Las víctimas “han podido contar sus sufrimientos al Papa Francisco, que les ha escuchado y ha rezado y llorado con ellos”, agrega el comunicado.

La identidad de los participantes se revelará si estos quieren hacerlo público, agregaron las fuentes del Vaticano que convocaron una conferencia de prensa para dar a conocer esta información.

[Google Translation: The Pope Francis met Tuesday with a group of victims of sexual abuse by priests, according to the spokesman of the Roman pontiff.

“The Holy Father met today at the Apostolic Nunciature of Santiago de Chile, after lunch, with a small group of victims of sexual abuse by priests,” reads a statement sent by the Vatican.

The victims “have been able to tell their sufferings to Pope Francis, who has listened to them and has prayed and cried with them,” the statement added.

The identity of the participants will be revealed if they want to make it public, added the Vatican sources that convened a press conference to publicize this information.

On two occasions during his first day of official visit to Chile, the Pope spoke of the “shame” and “pain” he feels for the sexual abuse perpetrated by the clergy against minors.

“I can not help but express the pain and the shame I feel at the irreparable damage caused to children by ministers of the Church,” the pope said before the country’s authorities in La Moneda, prompting applause from the audience.

Later, in a meeting with religious in the cathedral of Santiago, Francisco urged them to have “the courage to ask for forgiveness”.

“I know that sometimes they have suffered insults in the subway or walking down the street; that being dressed as a priest in many places is paying dearly, “said the Pope, visibly worried about this issue that not only tarnishes the image of the Church, but is producing a galloping distrust of the Chileans in the institution.

In Chile, nearly 80 religious abused minors since 2000, according to a list distributed last week by the American NGO Bishop Accountability.

“It does not serve forgiveness, shame and pain if it does not come with the corresponding actions”, published Juan Andrés Murillo, anti-abuse activist and one of the complainants in 2010 of the emblematic case of Fernando Karadima, when several men reported having been abused in his youth by the powerful priest, condemned by the Vatican to “a life of prayer and penance”.]

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