Pope praises Chile bishops for reflecting on their failures

Pope Francis is praising Chilean bishops for reflecting on their failure to listen to victims of clerical sex abuse.

The pontiff said in a letter to the Chilean church’s Episcopal Conference that he is “impressed by the reflection, discernment and decisions” taken by bishops when they met last week. The letter is dated Aug. 5.

Earlier this year, Francis publicly denounced a “culture of abuse and cover-up” in Chile’s Catholic Church. He also said he was ashamed that neither he nor Chilean church leaders truly ever listened to victims as Chile’s abuse scandal spread.

Chilean prosecutors recently summoned the archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, to appear in court and testify about his role in the alleged cover-up of years of abuse.