Pope Francis Defrocks Chilean Priest Fernando Karadima For Sexual Abuse

Father Fernando Karadima on the court date 
on Nov. 11, 2015, in Santiago, Chile

Photo courtesy: Getty Images

Pope Francis in an unprecedented move has defrocked Father Fernando Karadima (88) of Chile who was previously in 2011 was found to be guilty by the Vatican of several counts of sexual abuse and sentenced to a life of 'penance and prayer.' 

Father Karadima was a charismatic, convincing, and fluent speaker with wide influence among both the Chilean hierarchy and laity. He was involved in numerous sexual abuses and was accused as early as 1984. Chilean Church authorities not only failed to take action but also helped cover up his grave sins and crimes. This is called participation in others' sins. The laity everywhere in the world is taught on this participation, but the members of the hierarchy rarely apply this to themselves. There was a time when even Pope Francis thought abuse victims were spreading calumnies against Father Karadima! 

After receiving a 2,300-page report on sexual abuse of a number of priests in Chile, Pope Francis called all Chilean bishops and cardinals to Rome to deal with this. All the bishops and cardinals then wanted to submit their resignations. The pope accepted only a few resignations. 

For more on Father Karadima and Chilean clergy's sexual abuses, please read the following: 

• Pope Francis defrocks Chilean priest Fernando Karadima (Sept. 28, 2018)
• Pope Francis Defrocks Priest Fernando Karadima, a Notorious Abuser in Chile (Sept. 28, 2018)
• Abuses in Chile, Pope Francis defrocks Karadima (Sept. 28, 2018)
• Pope Francis defrocks Chilean priest Fernando Karadima amid sex abuse scandal (Sept. 28, 2018)
• Pope Francis defrocks Chilean priest Fernando Karadima (Sept. 28, 2018)
• Pope Francis removes Chilean priest at center of sex abuse scandal (Sept. 28, 2018)
• Chile abuse priest Fernando Karadima removed by Vatican (Sept. 28, 2018)
• Pope defrocks Chilean priest in sex abuse scandal (Sept. 28, 2018)
• National Catholic Reporter: FERNANDO KARADIMA (An archive of articles on Father Karadima and sexual abuses in Chile)
• Karadima Case (Wikipedia)

Related Items: 

• Vatican Rules Against Chile Priest Fernando Karadima (Feb. 18, 2011)
• Former seminarian tells Vatican sex-crimes investigator of his abuse by a Chilean priest (Feb. 17, 2018)
• Pope Francis offers Chile sex abuse victims 'gesture of regret and humility' (April 28, 2018)
• Chile: Fourteen priests linked to sex abuse scandal stripped of duties (May 23, 2018)
• Cleric in Chile who recorded sex abuse charges reports himself (May 26, 2018)
• Brother of pedophile priest urges him to apologize to save his soul (June 18, 2018)
• Victims recount sexual abuse horrors in Chilean seminary (Aug. 7, 2018)
• Chile Church scandal: 'How I escaped the priest who abused me for decades (Sept. 13, 2018)
• Pope expresses 'shame' to Chileans over sexual abuse (Sept. 28, 2018)
• 221 priests, 8 bishops face probes for abuse and cover-up in Chile (Sept. 29, 2018)
• The Catholic World Report: FR. FERNANDO KARADIMA (Archive)
• Voice of the Faithful: FR. FERNANDO KARADIMA (Archive)

(Updated on Sept. 30, 2018)