In a letter published Wednesday, Pope Francis invited Chilean victims of sexual abuse to come to Rome, where he plans to personally ask forgiveness for the "grave mistakes of judgment and perception of the situation."
Rev. Fernando Karadima of Chile was convicted in 2011 of sexually abusing minors and ordered to retire. Several of his victims have accused one of his protégés, Bishop Juan Barros, of knowing about the abuse but doing nothing to stop it. While visiting Chile in January, Francis defended Barros, saying the victims needed to show "proof" of their claims and sharing that he had twice rejected Barros' resignation.
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