Key cardinal rebukes pope over abuse comment in rare move
TRUJILLO, Peru (Reuters) - A key US cardinal distanced himself on Saturday from comments by Pope Francis on sexual abuse, saying they had caused “great pain,” a remarkable move pointing to divisions in the Roman Catholic Church over how to treat accusers.
The implicit public rebuke of the pope by one of his top advisers came after two days of pointed attacks from victims and their advocates, and was another setback for Francis’ attempts to come to grips with sexual abuse in the Church.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston said in an unusually blunt statement that “it is understandable” that the pope’s comments in Chile on Thursday were “a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy or any other perpetrator.”
In response to a question from a reporter on accusations against Juan Barros, a Chilean bishop appointed by the pope in 2015 who is accused of protecting a pedophile, the pope said:
“The day I see proof against Bishop Barros, then I will talk. There is not a single piece of evidence against him. It is all slander. Is that clear?”
The pope’s comments appearing to dismiss the credibility of accusers was widely criticized by victims, their advocates and newspaper editorials in Chile and the pope’s native Argentina.
Barros has been accused of protecting his former mentor, the Fernando Karadima, who was found guilty in a Vatican investigation in 2011 of abusing teenage boys over many years.
Karadima denies the allegations, and Barros said he was unaware of any wrongdoing. The Barros-Karadima case has riveted Chile for years.
O’Malley’s statement on the pope’s choice of language said:
“Words that convey the message ‘if you cannot prove your claims, then you will not be believed’ abandon those who have suffered reprehensible criminal violations of their human dignity and relegate survivors to discredited exile.” WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Many thousands of women and their male supporters turned out on Saturday for the second Women’s March, a nationwide series of protests against US President Donald Trump marking the end of his tumultuous first year in office.
The coordinated rallies in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and about 250 other cities featured speakers who blasted Trump for policies that many said hurt women and urging voters to turn out for congressional elections in November. Sister rallies were staged in cities overseas.
“Your vote is the most powerful tool at your individual disposal,” actress Eva Longoria told the Los Angeles rally.
“Everybody who has the privilege of voting must do so.”
Trump responded on Twitter by touting what he said were economic gains of the past year that benefited women.
“Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March,” he wrote. “Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!”
Joblessness among women was 3.7 per cent in December, below the overall US unemployment rate of 4.1 per cent, according to the Labor Department.
Even so, Katie O’Connor, a 39year-old lawyer from Knoxville, Tennessee, who travelled to Washington’s National Mall, said she wanted Trump out. “I don’t believe this administration is going to do anything good for women,” she said.