An investigator appointed by the Pope will meet a Chilean abuse victim whose testimony was apparently overlooked by Francis when he said he had received no proof of an abuse cover-up.
The Pope’s remarks that he had not seen any evidence against Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno – made once during his visit to Chile and again on the papal plane home – provoked intense criticism.
It was later reported that Cardinal Seán O’Malley had handed the Pope a letter containing detailed allegations about Bishop Barros turning a blind eye to abuse by his mentor, Fr Fernando Karadima, while he was a still a priest.
Following the uproar over his comments the Pope named Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican’s veteran prosecutor of sex abuse crimes, to look into the matter. A statement said that new information had emerged.
Archbishop Scicluna is scheduled to meet Juan Carlos Cruz, the man at the centre of the row, in New York tomorrow. It was Cruz’s testimony, contained in the letter delivered by Cardinal O’Malley, that the Pope was reportedly given. Mr Cruz said Archbishop Scicluna phoned him to arrange a face-to-face meeting after the Associated Press drew attention to his testimony given to the Pope three years ago. Originally they had planned to talk on Skype.
Mr Cruz had said the Pope’s dismissal of evidence against Bishop Barros had felt like a “slap in the face”. The Pope had said the allegations were nothing more than “calumny”.
Mr Cruz’s testimony alleged that Bishop Barros “would watch when Karadima would touch us – the minors – and make us kiss him, saying: ‘Put your mouth near mine and stick out your tongue.’” Bishop Barros has denied seeing or knowing of any abuse by Fr Karadima. Fr Hans Zollner, head of the Pontifical Gregorian University’s Centre for Child Protection, told reporters last Friday that he did not know whether Pope Francis had read the letter. He said that when he once handed the Pope two letters, “I am quite certain he did not open them” based on the nature of the Pope’s response.
Miracle paves way for Paul VI’s canonisation
The Congregation of Saints has unanimously approved the recognition of a miracle attributed to Blessed Pope Paul VI, meaning he will be canonised, probably later this year.
The Cause now goes to Pope Francis for final approval, and for a date for the canonisation.
The miracle concerns the healing of an unborn child who was suffering from a potentially fatal disease. Shortly after Pope Paul VI’s beatification, the child’s mother travelled to Brescia, the former pope’s home town, to pray for healing.
The child was eventually born in good health.
It has been suggested that Blessed Paul VI could be canonised in October during the Synod of Bishops, an institution he re-established after the Second Vatican Council. In an editorial in December, La Voce del Popolo, the newspaper of the Diocese of Brescia, Italy, said 2018 would be “the year of St Paul VI”.
The newspaper said “the month of October could be the right one”, given that the synod would be meeting at the Vatican on October 3-28 to discuss young people and helping them discern their vocations.
“What better occasion could there be to canonise, before such a significant portion of the College of Bishops, the other pope of the Second Vatican Council?” the paper asked.
St John XXIII, who opened the Council and presided over its first session, was canonised in 2014.
Blessed Paul succeeded John as pope in 1963, presided over the last three sessions of the council and began the process of implementing its decisions, as well as major changes to the liturgy. He died in 1978 aged 80.
This year also marks another significant anniversary related to Paul VI’s pontificate: it is 50 years since the promulgation of Humanae Vitae, which upheld Church teaching on contraception.
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