José Andrés Murillo: “To fight against pedophilia in the Church, we must change our logic”

Members of the “Laicos de Osorno” protest against sexual abuse in front of Santiago de Chile Cathedral, January 18, 2018. Esteban Felix AP

Interview with Marie Malzac of LaCroix Press: 1/22/2018

Founder of the Chilean association for the fight against sexual abuse “For confidence”, José Andrés Murillo expects the Pope to “reverse the logic of power” in place according to him in the Catholic Church.

LaCroix: You say that you expect more actions and less words from the pope. In concrete terms, what do you blame for the fight against sexual abuse in the Church?

José Andrés Murillo: Pope Francis has spoken on many occasions about the issue of sexual abuse and has put in place certain measures. But to the extent that the problem of pedophilia and abuse is related to the dynamics of power, this is what must be tackled. If the pope really wants to fight this scourge, especially when acts are committed by priests or members of the Church, we must question these dynamics, reverse the logic of power.

Upon his arrival in Iquique, in front of the Chilean journalists who questioned him, Pope Francis spoke of “slander” against Bishop Juan Barros, whom you accuse of having covered the acts of a pedophile priest, Fernando Karadima , of which you yourself have been a victim. How did you react ?

José Andrés Murillo: The pope asked for “evidence” about Bishop Barros. It is time for the responsibility to bring evidence to change sides. It’s not up to the victims to prove someone’s guilt. If there is plausible suspicion against someone, then there must be a duty to investigate. We affirm that Bishop Barros has hindered the investigations around Fernando Karadima several times and that he has been aware of the actions of the one who was for many years his spiritual father. Evidence of this accusation is found in the civil and canonical records. There is a serious lack of coherence between the proclaimed ethic and the facts, ignoring the elements available to justice.

The full Interview can be found at: https://www.la-croix.com/Religion/