Many Chileans Unsatisfied with Pope Francis’ Mea Culpa

Pope Francis expressed “pain and shame” on Tuesday (Jan 16) over a sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in Chile, seeking forgiveness for a crisis that has scarred its credibility and left many faithful sceptical of reform.

A few days ago in a meeting with the worldwide media and in a reply to a specific question on why Francis has yet to visit Argentina, spokesperson Burke said that “such details must be left to the Pope”, but underlined that when crossing Argentina air space the telegram would be “interesting”.

“People are leaving the church because they don’t find a protective space there”, said Juan Carlos Claret, spokesman for a group of church members in Osorno that has opposed Barros’ appointment as bishop.

Pope Francis has landed in Chile, where protests are expected over his decision to appoint a bishop who was close to the Andean nation’s most notorious pedophile priest. That plan went awry and Barros was appointed to Osorno. This could be the reason why there was a string of firebombings of churches and death threats to the Pope before his visit.

Fifty-nine percent of Chilean citizens described themselves as Roman Catholic in a recent survey conducted by the consultancy group Latinobarómetro.

The papal flight to Chile lasted about 15 hours and flew over the Pope Francis’ native Argentina, where many in the church, politics and chattering classes wondered aloud: When will he arrive here?

No one was injured in the attacks and no one has claimed responsibility. Even among Chilean Catholics, only 42 per cent approve of the job Francis is doing, compared to a regional average of 68 per cent. He’s been found guilty of sexually abusing minors over decades, while his superiors either covered up for him or looked the other way.

Fujimori, 79, had served less than half of a 25-year sentence for corruption and human rights crimes for commanding death squads to combat a Maoist-inspired insurgency during his 1990-2000 right-wing populist government.

The Latin American church has long featured both conservative, pro-establishment tendencies and social activist elements, occasionally leading to tension within its hierarchy.

A common thread linking the two countries is the pope’s defence of indigenous people. The pope is expected to address the Mapuches’ struggle for the recuperation of ancestral lands and other rights.

Bachelet was the main proponent of a law that past year legalized abortion under three circumstances – when a woman’s life is endangered, when a pregnancy results from rape, or when the pregnancy is not considered viable.

From Chile he will go to Peru, visiting Lima, Puerto Maldonado, and Trujillo.

The abuse scandal has shaken Chilean society and the church to their foundations, causing vast damage to the credibility of a church that was the most trusted institution in the country some decades ago.