Pope Francis will meet this weekend with three Chileans: Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton and José Andrés Murillo. They're three victims of Fernando Karadima, the priest condemned by the Vatican in 2011for sexual abuse.
The Vatican announced in a press release on Wednesday that the pope wants to “ask for their forgiveness” and “listen to them.” He will meet with each one of them privately, except for Monday, when the encounter will be with all three.
During the meeting, the victims are expected to be especially critical of the Chilean Church for the way it handled the sexual abuse crisis.
On April 12, the Vatican and the Episcopal Conference of Chile jointly published a letter from the Holy Father addressed to bishops from the country. In it, the pope admits to being mistaken and requests two meetings: one with the victims, and another with the nation's bishops. The latter encounter could take place in mid-May.
