Bishop Juan Barros attends his first Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Osorno, Chile, March 21. (CNS photo/Carlos Gutierrez, Reuters)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The appointment of a controversial bishop in Chile was made after a careful review found no “objective reasons” to prevent Bishop Juan Barros from taking over the Diocese of Osorno, the Vatican press office said.
The bishop had been accused of covering up for a priest who was known to have committed sexual abuse; some 3,000 demonstrators gathered outside and inside the Osorno cathedral March 21 to protest his installation as bishop.
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“The Congregation for Bishops carefully examined the prelate’s candidature and did not find objective reasons to preclude the appointment,” said the Vatican’s March 31 statement.
The protesters claimed Bishop Barros was complicit in the case of Father Fernando Karadima, who the Vatican in 2011 found guilty of sexually abusing minors and ordered to “retire to a life of prayer and penitence.”
Bishop Barros denied having any knowledge of Father Karadima’s crimes.
Still, several lay members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors criticized his appointment to Osorno and expressed their concern.
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The pope recently appointed Cardinal Donald Wuerl, current archbishop of the DC archdiocese, to the Congregation of the Bishops. This group makes recommendations to the pope for bishop and cardinal appointments. Donald Wuerl is not the best person to help select bishops, especially when the pop is considering promoting a priest who has a reputation of protecting pedophile priests.
Fair to say, the Catholic Church is not the most transparent organization when it comes to clergy sex abuse. Needless to say, it may be best to err on the side of caution when promoting bishops.
Read for yourself and judge for yourself:
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2010/05_06/2010_05_16_ParisArrow_HomosexualColonization.htm
I have met and talked with Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim of Karadima now living in the United States and I have no reason to doubt his integrity.
Pope Francis has made a very serious mistake in not listening to the victim/survivors of Barros and not considering removing him as bishop of Osorno, Chile. The Church’s credibility, (what credibility?), is hardly improved with actions like this while the Vatican continues to tough it out.
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
New Castle, Delaware
Advocate for Victim/Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse & Legislative Reform