Karadima case
Encyclopedia
In February 2011 after seven years of a catholic canonical
investigation, the Vatican found the Reverend Fernando Karadima
guilty of sexually abusing minors
in Chile
and sent him to a “life of prayer and penitence” and to “lifelong prohibition from the public exercise of any ministerial act, particularly confession and the spiritual guidance of any category of persons.”
Alejandro García-Huidobro, a conservative congressman, Bishop Andrés Arteaga, Vice-Cancellor of the Universidad Católica de Chile and many of his parishioners dismissed the claims out of hand.
, Juan Francisco Fresno
, later cardinal
, about Father Karadima’s “improper conduct.” The letter was “torn up and thrown away,” according to a court statement by the parishioner.
In mid-2003, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa was informed by parishioner José Murillo about the abuses of Karadima, assuming an investigation would be opened. The written report of Murillo came months after the Chilean Bishops Conference issued procedures for handling cases of sexual abuse involving priests. The cardinal answered to Mr. Murullo saying he was praying for him and he didn't open a preliminary investigation.
In April 2010 a civil criminal
complaint was filed by victims of sexual abuse by four men who were once devoted followers of Karadima. The Public Ministry, or attorney general's office, named special prosecutor Xavier Armendáriz. He stated that "The law will not show favoritism. The office of the accused will not influence this investigation," although the fact that the prosecutor made the disclaimer is evidence that Chileans expect the opposite. After seven months of conducting the probe, the claims were dismissed by the court ruling that there was not enough evidence to charge him.
One of the claimants accused: “We would have liked to appeal, but with defense attorneys like his, who have the Appeals and Supreme Court
eating out of their hands, and a number of powerful people who continue to protect Karadima, we knew it would be an uphill battle that we were likely to lose,”
The defense attorney of Karadima, Lawyer Juan Pablo Bulnes Cerda, is brother of Juan Luis Bulnes Cerda, sentenced in 1970 for the assassination of General René Schneider
in 1970 in order to prevent Salvador Allende
's inauguration. Juan Pablo Bulnes Cerda works for the law office of Ossa, Bulnes & Asociados. Juan Luis Ossa Bulnes was chief of the "Comando Rolando Matus", a paramilitary
organization
of the National Party (Chile, 1966–1973). It played a key role in the destabilization of the country during Allende's government. The lawyers Luis Arévalo and Luis Ortiz Quiroga appeared for Karadima also, were attorneys in the 1970's for Julio Bouchon, another participant in Schneider's assassination. They worked also for Colonia Dignidad
. According to James Hamilton, one of the claimants, Karadima protected and hid Juan Luis Bulnes Cerda, as he was wanted by the Chilean police in 1970.
Bishop Arteaga stepped down from his position at the Universidad Catolica.
School of the Adolfo Ibáñez University, asserts that: "[it is] the worst scandal of the Chilean Catholic Church" and about the magnitude he says: "[Power] is the true point of the case. The abuses were not possible without a network of political, social and religious power working since 50 years. The assassination of René Schneider … bears traces of the network". Regarding the Catholic church, he says "Fact is that Karadima built a parallel church in the years 1980s and 1990s to satisfy a very specific sector of Santiago's society. This Parachurch [paraiglesia, in original] was the plataform of the prevailing positions that damaged the prestige of the institution since 2000"
Canonical
Canonical is an adjective derived from canon. Canon comes from the greek word κανών kanon, "rule" or "measuring stick" , and is used in various meanings....
investigation, the Vatican found the Reverend Fernando Karadima
Fernando Karadima
Salvador Fernando Miguel Karadima Fariña is a renowned Catholic priest in Chile. He was an important religious influence for many of the high clergy.-Karadima case:...
guilty of sexually abusing minors
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and sent him to a “life of prayer and penitence” and to “lifelong prohibition from the public exercise of any ministerial act, particularly confession and the spiritual guidance of any category of persons.”
Fernando Karadima
Father Karadima was a spiritual leader and father figure for young men from Santiago's elite. He had trained four bishops and 50 priests in the "Parroquia El Bosque", the parish where Karadima was based and which assists some of Santiago's most influential families. Impeccably dressed and with perfectly groomed nails and slicked-back hair, Father Karadima cut an aristocratic figure, appealing to both young and old in Chile's elite.Alejandro García-Huidobro, a conservative congressman, Bishop Andrés Arteaga, Vice-Cancellor of the Universidad Católica de Chile and many of his parishioners dismissed the claims out of hand.
First complaints
In 1984 a group of parishioners reported to archbishopArchbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
, Juan Francisco Fresno
Juan Francisco Fresno
Juan Francisco Fresno Larrain was a Chilean cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Santiago de Chile from 1983 to 1990, and was elevated to the Cardinalate in 1985.-Early life and ordination:...
, later cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, about Father Karadima’s “improper conduct.” The letter was “torn up and thrown away,” according to a court statement by the parishioner.
In mid-2003, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa was informed by parishioner José Murillo about the abuses of Karadima, assuming an investigation would be opened. The written report of Murillo came months after the Chilean Bishops Conference issued procedures for handling cases of sexual abuse involving priests. The cardinal answered to Mr. Murullo saying he was praying for him and he didn't open a preliminary investigation.
Civil and canonical investigation
In June 2004 the first investigation into Father Karadima was opened by the Catholic Church. Two years later, the investigator stated to the cardinal his belief that “the accusers to be credible and suggesting certain courses of action.”. Nevertheless Cardinal Errázuriz stopped the investigation for more than three years, to wait for new evidence and because he thought the allegations were beyond the statute of limitations.In April 2010 a civil criminal
Civil law (common law)
Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...
complaint was filed by victims of sexual abuse by four men who were once devoted followers of Karadima. The Public Ministry, or attorney general's office, named special prosecutor Xavier Armendáriz. He stated that "The law will not show favoritism. The office of the accused will not influence this investigation," although the fact that the prosecutor made the disclaimer is evidence that Chileans expect the opposite. After seven months of conducting the probe, the claims were dismissed by the court ruling that there was not enough evidence to charge him.
One of the claimants accused: “We would have liked to appeal, but with defense attorneys like his, who have the Appeals and Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
eating out of their hands, and a number of powerful people who continue to protect Karadima, we knew it would be an uphill battle that we were likely to lose,”
The defense attorney of Karadima, Lawyer Juan Pablo Bulnes Cerda, is brother of Juan Luis Bulnes Cerda, sentenced in 1970 for the assassination of General René Schneider
René Schneider
General René Schneider Chereau was the commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army at the time of the 1970 Chilean presidential election, when he was assassinated during a botched kidnapping attempt. His murder virtually assured Salvador Allende's eventual overthrow and death in a coup three years later...
in 1970 in order to prevent Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende Gossens was a Chilean physician and politician who is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America....
's inauguration. Juan Pablo Bulnes Cerda works for the law office of Ossa, Bulnes & Asociados. Juan Luis Ossa Bulnes was chief of the "Comando Rolando Matus", a paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
of the National Party (Chile, 1966–1973). It played a key role in the destabilization of the country during Allende's government. The lawyers Luis Arévalo and Luis Ortiz Quiroga appeared for Karadima also, were attorneys in the 1970's for Julio Bouchon, another participant in Schneider's assassination. They worked also for Colonia Dignidad
Colonia Dignidad
Villa Baviera , formerly known as Colonia Dignidad is a hamlet in Parral Commune, Linares Province, Maule Region, Chile. Located in an isolated area of central Chile, it lies 35 km southeast of the city of Parral, on the north bank of the Perquilauquén River. It was founded by a group of German...
. According to James Hamilton, one of the claimants, Karadima protected and hid Juan Luis Bulnes Cerda, as he was wanted by the Chilean police in 1970.
Personal
After the Vatican's disciplinary action, the Reverend Hans Kast testified that he had witnessed sexual abuses as did the Reverend Andrés Ferrada “but no one ever did anything about it.” The Reverend Francisco Walker, president of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, resigned from the court after admitting the leaking of claimants personal information to Bishop Arteaga and Father Morales.Bishop Arteaga stepped down from his position at the Universidad Catolica.
Ecclesiastical
Antonio Delfau, a Jesuit priest in Santiago asserted that the Vatican decision “is going to mark a before and after in the way the Chilean Catholic Church proceeds in cases like these, or at least it should,” and “From now on, every case of sexual abuse must be treated with meticulous care and not be based on the gut feeling of a given church official.”Political
The Chilean political analyst Ascanio Cavallo, Dean of the JournalismJournalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
School of the Adolfo Ibáñez University, asserts that: "[it is] the worst scandal of the Chilean Catholic Church" and about the magnitude he says: "[Power] is the true point of the case. The abuses were not possible without a network of political, social and religious power working since 50 years. The assassination of René Schneider … bears traces of the network". Regarding the Catholic church, he says "Fact is that Karadima built a parallel church in the years 1980s and 1990s to satisfy a very specific sector of Santiago's society. This Parachurch [paraiglesia, in original] was the plataform of the prevailing positions that damaged the prestige of the institution since 2000"
External links
Literature
- Karadima, el señor de los infiernos by María Olivia Monckeberg, ISBN 9568410546, Editorial Debate.