Archbishop to return to Chile as part of child abuse investigation

The Vatican said the trip was meant to heal the wounds of the victims of abuses committed by clergy members

Pope Francis (left) with Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna (Photo: Curia)
Pope Francis (left) with Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna (Photo: Curia)

Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna will be heading back to Chile where he will be attempting to heal wounds of victims of abuse by members of the clergy.

In a statement issued by the Vatican, it said Scicluna would be going to the Osorno Diocese at the Pope’s request, where he will be accompanied by Mgr Jordi Bertomeu.

In the meantime, the statement said that the Pope will be “sending a letter written by him to the president of the Chilean episcopal conference, addressed to the people of god, as he had promised bishops".

Last February, the Maltese archbishop was in Chile, where he met the victims of Chilean priest Fr Fernando Karadima, who was convicted in 2011 for abusing a number of boys.

Archbishop Scicluna was in Santiago looking into accusations that Bishop Juan Barros covered up crimes against minors.

Following the publication of Scicluna’s findings, every Chilean bishop announced at the end of an emergy summit with Pope Francis that all 31 active bishops, and three retired ones in Rome had handed in their resignation.

The resignations represented the first known time in history that an entire national bishops' conference resigned en masse over scandal.