The Vatican has confirmed that from June 1-3, 2018, the Holy Father will receive a second group of victims of the Reverend Fernando Karadima and his followers, of the parish of the Sacred Heart of Providencia (“El Bosque”).
In the declaration issued today, May 31, 2018, by Director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, stated: “This coming weekend, as planned [announced in a May 22, 2018 statement], the Holy Father will host a group of Chilean priests at Casa Santa Marta.”
“In order to move forward in the process of reparation and healing of the victims of abuse,” it continued, “in the next few days, Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Bishop Jordi Bertomeu will depart again for Chile, this time on mission to the Diocese of Osorno, in accordance with the Pope Francis.”
“Meanwhile,” it concluded, “the Pope will send to the President of the Episcopal Conference of Chile a letter written personally and addressed to all the People of God, as he had promised to the bishops.”
According to the first May 22 statement, they are five priests, who were victims of sexual abuses and of abuses of power and conscience. Two other priests will be with them, who have helped the victims in their juridical and spiritual journey, and two laymen involved in this suffering. All will be guests of the Holy Father in Casa Santa Marta.
The great majority of these people took part in the meetings held in Chile last February, during the special mission of Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu. The rest have collaborated in the weeks after the visit.
With this new meeting, Pope Francis wants to show his closeness to the abused priests, to accompany them in their pain, and to listen to their valuable opinion to improve the existing preventive measures and the fight against abuses in the Church.
The first phase thus concludes the Holy Father’s meetings with the victims of the abusive system established several decades ago in the mentioned parish. These priests and laymen represent all the victims of the abuses of the clergy in Chile, but the repetition of similar initiatives in the future is not discarded.
There will be several meetings in the course of the weekend, which will unfold in an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality. On Saturday morning, June 2, the Pope will celebrate a private Mass in Saint Martha’s House. Planned in the early afternoon is a group meeting, followed by individual conversations.
The Pontiff continues to ask the faithful of Chile – especially the faithful of the parishes where these priests carry out their pastoral ministry – to accompany them with prayer and solidarity during these days.
