Chilean cardinal denies cover-up of sexual abuse by notorious priest
November 06, 2015
Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati Andrello of Santiago, Chile, has denied that the archdiocese covered up evidence of sexual abuse by a notorious priest.
After testifying in a lawsuit brought by victims of Father Fernando Karadima, the cardinal said that he had answered all questions, and repeated that Church leaders had not been aware of the misconduct by Karadima. In 2011 the Vatican sentenced Karadima, who was once a prominent figure in Chile, to a lifetime of penance and prayer.
Earlier this year, Cardinal Ezzati and his predecessor, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz (who is a member of the Council of Cardinals advising Pope Francis) came under heavy criticism in Chile when an exchange of email messages between them became public, showing that they had actively opposed a bid to name one of Karadima’s victims to a papal panel on sexual abuse.
Cardinal Ezzati argued that the email exchange showed no wrongdoing. “From my side there are no offensive expression or any obstacles at all,” he said.
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