A Creepy Sex Cult Scandal and Firebombed Churches Greet Pope Francis in Latin America
Pope Francis
Such is the situation in Peru and Chile  where  Pope Francis  is paying a visit this week. However beneficent  his  reputation  the sordid past of such men and institutions keeps coming back to afflict  his  papacy like a recurrent  debilitating disease.
Things arenât much better for the pope in Chile  where  Francis  will begin  his  official apostolic visit when  he  arrives Monday evening.
 Francis  recently appointed controversial Bishop Juan Barros to head the diocese of the city of Osorno in the south of the country  even though Barros worked directly under Fernando Karadima  a priest convicted of sexual abuse by the Vatican and sentenced to the usual âlife of prayer and penitenceâ in a secluded monastery. Barros denies knowing of Karadimaâs crimes  even though he is named by several witnesses as ultimately aiding in the cover-up  and sent a letter to the Vatican in support of the known predator during the Vaticanâs investigation.
According to documents seen by the Associated Press   Francis  considered sending Barros on a sabbatical to avoid any potential dust-up among abuse survivors but  as the AP reports  it was a decision â he  didn't ultimately take.â
Last Friday  four Catholic churches in Santiago were firebombed ahead of the popeâs visit. A note left behind in the Santa Isabel de HungrÃ­a church used Spanish orthography changed to eliminate masculine and feminine gender  declaring  for example  âWe will never submit to the dominion they want to exercise over our bodies [nuestrxs cuerpxs]... â It concluded  â Pope Francis   the next bombs will be in your cassock.â
 Francis  has been widely criticized for  his  mixed messaging on clerical sex abuse.  He  has not yet renewed the mandate of  his  commission on clerical sex abuse  which expired on Dec. 17. Peter Saunders  a victim of clerical sex abuse and member of the commission who had been on leave for the better part of the year  officially resigned from the commission in December  citing âdisappointment that that commission had not done moreâ as  his  primary reason.  He  has been invited by protesters in Chile to join the demonstrations to stand in solidarity with victims in protests against the pontiff.
 The pope  will begin  his  apostolic visit late Monday evening in Chile before moving on to Peru later in the week.  He  will return to Rome Jan. 21.
Such is the situation in Peru and Chile  where   [TGT] is paying a visit this week. However beneficent   [TGT]   reputation  the sordid past of such men and institutions keeps coming back to afflict   [TGT]   papacy like a recurrent  debilitating disease.
Things arenât much better for the pope in Chile  where  Francis  will begin  his  official apostolic visit when  he  arrives Monday evening.
 Francis  recently appointed controversial Bishop Juan Barros to head the diocese of the city of Osorno in the south of the country  even though Barros worked directly under Fernando Karadima  a priest convicted of sexual abuse by the Vatican and sentenced to the usual âlife of prayer and penitenceâ in a secluded monastery. Barros denies knowing of Karadimaâs crimes  even though he is named by several witnesses as ultimately aiding in the cover-up  and sent a letter to the Vatican in support of the known predator during the Vaticanâs investigation.
According to documents seen by the Associated Press   Francis  considered sending Barros on a sabbatical to avoid any potential dust-up among abuse survivors but  as the AP reports  it was a decision â he  didn't ultimately take.â
Last Friday  four Catholic churches in Santiago were firebombed ahead of the popeâs visit. A note left behind in the Santa Isabel de HungrÃ­a church used Spanish orthography changed to eliminate masculine and feminine gender  declaring  for example  âWe will never submit to the dominion they want to exercise over our bodies [nuestrxs cuerpxs]... â It concluded  â Pope Francis   the next bombs will be in your cassock.â
 Francis  has been widely criticized for  his  mixed messaging on clerical sex abuse.  He  has not yet renewed the mandate of  his  commission on clerical sex abuse  which expired on Dec. 17. Peter Saunders  a victim of clerical sex abuse and member of the commission who had been on leave for the better part of the year  officially resigned from the commission in December  citing âdisappointment that that commission had not done moreâ as  his  primary reason.  He  has been invited by protesters in Chile to join the demonstrations to stand in solidarity with victims in protests against the pontiff.
 The pope  will begin  his  apostolic visit late Monday evening in Chile before moving on to Peru later in the week.  He  will return to Rome Jan. 21.