“Misled”

adminonDecember 14, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

Cardinal Francisco Errazuriz Ossa © Romano Siciliani (KNA)

Chilean abuse victims James Hamilton, Juan Carlos Cruz and Jose Andres Murillo have made serious accusations against one of the Pope's closest advisors: The cardinal in question had blocked the abuse investigation.

Cardinal Francisco Errazuriz prevented prosecution of sexual offenses for more than five years, James Hamilton told reporters in Rome on Wednesday. He, along with Juan Carlos Cruz and Jose Andres Murillo, had told Pope Francis about their experiences with abuse and cover-ups in the Chilean church during a meeting at the Vatican that lasted several days.

Been informed about sexual offenses

The 84-year-old Errazuriz is a member of the Council of Cardinals, which advises Pope Francis on curia reform. From 1998 until his age-related resignation in 2010, he was archbishop of the Chilean capital's bishopric of Santiago. For several years he presided over the Chilean Bishops' Conference and the Latin American Bishops' Council CELAM.

Hamilton said Errazuriz had been aware of sexual misconduct by priest Fernando Karadima since 2002. While church prosecutor Eliseo Escudero said the allegations were credible, investigations by Errazuriz had been blocked. It was not until 2009, with a new testimony by Cruz, that the accusations reached the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Karadima was condemned by the Vatican in 2011.

"We would like to put them all in jail"

Hamilton called Errazuriz a "criminal". He also extended the accusation of cover-up to the acting archbishop of Santiago, 76-year-old Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati. "We would like to put them all in jail," Hamilton said. However, Chilean criminal law provides for a statute of limitations of five and ten years, respectively, for the offenses in question.

Cruz also said Errazuriz and Ezzati had "hoodwinked" the pope about the abuse scandal.

The talks with the pope, which lasted several hours, were positive, according to the three abuse victims. They assessed the meeting as a sign of a turnaround of the Catholic Church in dealing with the problem. However, they also made clear the expectation of concrete consequences.

Pope Francis and Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi on the return flight © Tiziana Fabi / Pool

On his flight back from Armenia to Rome, Pope Francis faced questions from journalists traveling with him. Among other things, he took a stand on the Brexit vote and looked ahead to the Reformation celebrations this October.

In the wake of the Brexit vote in Britain, Pope Francis has proposed loosening the structures of cooperation in the European Union. "It may be appropriate to think about a new, freer form of union". According to the Roman daily "La Repubblica", he said this on Sunday evening on the flight back to Rome. Thus, he said, the EU must return to the "strength of its roots".

Appreciation of Martin Luther

In view of his planned participation in the Reformation celebrations on 31. October 2016 in Lund, Sweden, Francis paid tribute to the reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). "I believe that Martin Luther's intentions were not wrong, he was a reformer," the pope said. It is possible that his methods were wrong. But the church, he said, was not a model worth emulating at the time. There had been corruption and infighting. Luther had protested against this.

Referring to critical comparisons between him and his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Francis stressed there is a pope and a pope emeritus. Benedict's resignation from office was courageous and theologically sound, paving the way for this unprecedented situation, said the head of the Church, who visited Armenia from Friday to Sunday.

Apology to homosexuals

For the exclusion of homosexuals, the Catholic Church should apologize, according to Francis. The catechism of the Church prescribes that they must not be discriminated against, but must be respected and accompanied pastorally, said the Pope on the return flight. He also cited other reasons for the church to apologize, such as to the poor and to exploited women and children. Likewise, she would have to apologize for blessing weapons.

In the press conference aboard the plane, the pope also repeated his famous July 2013 statement that if a person is homosexual, of good will and seeking God, "who are we to judge them??" There are cultures in some countries that have a "different mentality" on this ie, Francis continued. One should not condemn "homosexuals for "ideological motives". The only thing that can be condemned is "political behavior; certain rallies that are too offensive to others".

Francis thus responded to a question about what he said about the accusation after the Orlando attack that the Catholic Church contributed to hatred of homosexuals. The U.S. journalist based her question on a statement made by Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx; he had recently said in Dublin that the church should apologize for marginalizing homosexuals.

"In need of justification is the exclusion of co-determination and not the participation of women in church life." This says Prof.in Dr. Dorothea Sattler of the University of Munster on the current debate about women in church leadership positions.

Note: Here you will find all the contents of the Blickpunkt Week "Women in the Church.

our site What does it mean in your eyes for the self-image of the Catholic Church that women do not even appear in ordination offices and also hardly in the executive floors of other church institutions??

Prof.in Dr. Dorothea Sattler (director of the Ecumenical Institute at the University of Munster): I think the image of the Roman Catholic Church is limited by this. It would be nice if the many gifts and charisms of women were also present in the image of the Roman Catholic Church.

our site You yourself are a university professor, so you have made it to the top in a professional field that was originally and still is dominated by men. What is your personal experience?

Saddler: It was a thorny path. I was the first woman in the field of dogmatics at an educational institution where candidates for the priesthood also study. That was not easy. But I also experienced in my generation – I was born in 1961 – that more and more women were admitted to theological disciplines. And we've already changed the appearance on the faculties there as well.

our site In fact, the really important decisions in the Catholic Church are still tied to ordination offices. What does this mean for gender justice in the Catholic Church??

Sattler: Indeed, the categorical exclusion of women from all sacramental ministries also means that we cannot participate. Already involved in decision-making in certain areas, but especially when it comes to synodal decisions. There we are excluded. Justification is needed for this exclusion and not for the participation of women in church life.

our site The abuse scandal has shown that there are also systemic causes behind it: keyword clericalism. To what extent could a reassessment of the role of women remedy this??

Sattler: There are two different ies. There may also be a connection. But there one must be very careful in the judgement. I think it is important to approach both questions argumentatively with a high degree of seriousness. And at the same time, I am convinced that the presence of women in communication structures of the Roman Catholic Church will not only change the outward appearance, but also the forms of interaction. For instance, the presence of women could increase the willingness to listen. It would also look with sensitivity at questions of sexuality.

Interviewer: At the spring plenary meeting, the German bishops decided that they want to achieve a 30 percent quota of women in leadership positions by 2023. How do you evaluate this?

Sattler: I find this extremely courageous. The bishops have thereby also declared that they want to control whether the goals are achieved. In my perception, this is clearly the way towards a higher presence of women.

The interview was conducted by Katharina Geiger.

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