Current Conditions: 12.9°C Clear Clear

Chile bishop apologizes for not investigating abuse promptly

By Abbey Westbury
May 19 2018 09:03 PM

CP1180540605 — This frame taken from video provided by the CTV Vatican television Thursday, May 17, 2018, Pope Francis, center, poses for a picture with Chilean Bishops during a meeting at the Vatican. The Bishops announced Friday at the end of an emergency summit, over a sex abuse and cover-up scandal, held with Pope Francis that all 31 active bishops and three retired ones in Rome had signed a document offering to resign and putting their fate in the hands of the pope. Francis can accept the resignations one by one, reject them or delay a decision. (CTV via AP)

SANTIAGO, Chile – A Chilean bishop apologized Saturday for not promptly investigating a reported case of sexual abuse in his diocese, a day after every bishop in the South American country offered to resign over what Pope Francis said was their negligence in protecting children.

“I want to apologize for my actions in this case,” said Bishop Alejandro Goic, referring to abuse allegations made in a report by Chile’s T13 television against priest Luis Rubio.

In the report, Rubio acknowledges having sent pictures of himself naked to a false profile of a minor set up on Facebook to catch him.

Elisa Fernandez, who worked in the youth ministry in the community of Paredones, told T13 that she repeatedly informed Goic about the abuses, but the bishop always demanded proof.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.