Vatican City, May 10, 2018 / 13:21 pm
Chilean Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, archbishop emeritus of Santiago, has said that he will not take part in a meeting between Chile's bishops and the pope next week to discuss a report on allegations of abuse cover-up in the Latin American country.
In Rome April 23-25 for the latest reunion of the pope's council of cardinal advisers, of which he is a member, Errazuriz said that he will not return for the May 14-17 meetings "for personal reasons."
Errazuriz led the archdiocese of Santiago from 1998-2010, overlapping with the period during which Chilean priest Fernando Karadima was found to have abused several minors. Karadima was convicted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith in 2011 and sentenced to a life of prayer and solitude.
The cardinal has been accused by at least one of Karadima's victims, who met privately with Pope Francis April 28-29, of failing to act on reports of abuse. Victim James Hamilton said in a press conference May 2 that Errazuriz "was covering up for more than five years the criminal Karadima and all of his acts."