Pope Francis must take ‘exemplary actions’ against global ‘epidemic’ of paedophile – Victims

Pope Francis must take “exemplary actions’’ against the global “epidemic’’ of paedophile priests, victims of abuse from Chile said on Wednesday, after weekend talks with the pontiff.
“It is not up to us to carry out the necessary transformations in the Church to stop the epidemic of sexual abuse and cover-up,’’ Juan Cruz, James Hamilton and Jose Murillo said.
“We hope that Pope Francis transforms his loving words of forgiveness into exemplary actions. Otherwise, all this will be in vain,’’ they said in a joint statement.
The three men met the foreign press in Rome after being given separate audiences by the pope, who made amends for earlier this year downplaying their stories as “slander’’.
“I have never, ever seen someone be more contrite,’’ Cruz said in a press conference about Francis’ apology. But, he added “asking for forgiveness must be matched by actions.’’
Cruz and the others have accused Chilean Bishop, Juan Barros, of covering up the crimes of his mentor, Father Fernando Karadima, whom the Vatican found guilty of molesting children in 2011.
They are also demanding punishment for Chilean Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, who sits on an influential nine-member advisory panel to the pope.
Errazuriz, the former archbishop of Santiago, is “a real criminal’’ who covered for Karadima “for more than five years,’’ and who “must pay what he owes,’’ Hamilton said.