Melipilla, Chile, Jul 30, 2018 / 12:48 pm
The Chilean bishops convened Monday for the start of a week-long assembly on the sexual abuse scandal in the Church in their country.
The meeting was organized to examine the causes of the ongoing abuse crisis and to establish national guidelines for dioceses on how to handle abuse cases. The July 30 – Aug. 3 assembly is taking place in Punta de Tralca, about 40 miles northwest of Melipilla.
Civil authorities in Chile are carrying out investigations into sexual abuse in the Church spanning 266 alleged victims and 158 Church officials.
Starting Aug. 1, four religious superiors, two deacons, two bishops' conference department-heads, two lay people from the conference's prevention council, and two representatives of a conference of religious men and women in Chile will also be present at the bishops' assembly.