VATICAN CITY
Crux
Inés San Martín
VATICAN CORRESPONDENT
May 21, 2018
ROME – As part of the fallout of Pope Francis’ meeting with 34 Chilean bishops that led to the resignation of all of them, accused or at least suspected of covering up cases of clerical sexual abuse and destroying damning evidence, the survivors who met with him in April continue to share bits and pieces of their encounter with the pontiff.
“Juan Carlos, that you are gay doesn’t matter,” Francis reportedly told clerical sexual abuse survivor Juan Carlos Cruz. “God made you like this and loves you like this and it doesn’t matter to me. The pope loves you like this, you have to be happy with who you are.”
Cruz is one of three of the victims of Father Fernando Karadima who were in Rome in late April for a weekend meeting with Pope Francis. His comments came in an interview with Spanish daily El Pais.
Cruz was answering a question about his homosexuality, and was asked if he’d spoken with the pope about it and the suffering he was subjected to as a result of it. He answered affirmatively.
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