By Nina Arazoza
Santiago Times
November 15, 2011
http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/human-rights-a-law/22891-catholic-church-publishes-list-of-chiles-tainted-priests-
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| Photo by Catholic Church/Flickr. |
Religious leaders seek progress in handling complaints of sexual abuse against minors.
The Catholic Church released a list on Friday naming 17 priests and one deacon in Chile associated with alleged cases of sexual abuse. Ten of the clergymen listed have been convicted by the Chilean justice system and eight others have been sanctioned by the Vatican.
By releasing the list of clergymen under questioning, the Church is following a new protocol launched in April which created a National Council for the Prevention of Abuses Against Minors and Accompanying Victims. The list was released in time for the 102nd Plenary Assembly of Chile's Episcopal Conference, which is set to focus on the issue of juvenile abuse.
The most recent concern over the issue of sex abuse in the Catholic Church has been spurred on by the many ups and downs of the case of former Chilean priest Fernando Karadima, who was convicted by the Vatican earlier this year of sexually abusing minors in the 1980s. The case, which has been under investigation since 2004, was recently dismissed in Chile's justice system based on the statute of limitations.
Although the Karadima case has, for the time being, fallen victim to the intricacies of the legal system, it has succeeded in bringing the larger issue into the spotlight.
Jaime Coiro, spokesperson for Chile's Episcopal Conference, said that "to list them (the accused clergy) on an official document helps us, as the church and society, to be conscious of the reality of the situation." He also made it clear that a priority of the church was to avoid unfair judgement of innocent people by publicizing those who are actually found to be guilty.
Coiro said above all the Church's goal is to respect and honor the dignity of the victims and to provide them with support.
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