Pope Francis with 34 Chilean bishops, who came to Rome to speak with the pontiff about the crisis in the Chilean Church as the result of decades-long cases of clerical sexual abuse, abuse of power and of conscience. (Credit: Courtesy of Vatican Media.)
（2018.5.17 Crux Vatican Correspondent Inés San Martín
ローマ発―チリで大きな問題になっている高位聖職者もかかわった性的虐待と力による虐待問題で、教皇フランシスコがチリの司教団34人をバチカンに召喚し、15日から17日にかけて、対策を協議した。
協議の後、教皇は、チリの司教団に対して「正義と教会における霊的な交わりを取り戻すための、短期、中期、そして長期」の視点で変革に前向きに取り組む姿勢を示したことに謝意を示した。だが、変革の中身については触れることがなかった。
17日午後、教皇庁が発表した司教団に対する教皇の書簡で、教皇は「重要な課題－飢え、監獄に入れられ、国を追われ、虐待されている人の中におられる主への奉仕－ を中心に置くことのできる『預言者の教会』へ、努力を続けるように」と要請した。
また、今回の協議を振り返って、「過去数年にわたり、教会の霊的な交わりを壊し、チリの教会の働きを弱体化させた重大ないくつもの出来事について、率直に識別する」ためにバチカンに招いたことを司教団が進んで受け入れたことに感謝を述べた。
バチカンの聖職者性的虐待問題の調査責任者、Charles Jude Sciclunaマルタ大司教をチリに派遣、フェルナンド・カラディマ神父の性的虐待を隠ぺいしたとして被害者がホアン・バロス司教を訴えている問題を調査させていたが、教皇によるチリ司教団のバチカンへの召喚は、その調査結果を受けたものだ。
カラディマ神父はすでに、バチカンの裁判所で、弱者虐待で有罪、彼の支持者たちとともに力と精神的な虐待でも有罪とされている。チリの司教たちのうち4人もカラディマ神父の仲間とされており、2015年に教皇はそのうちの一人、バロス司教をオソルノの南の教区に転出させたが、現地の多くの司祭や信徒、政治家や神父の被害者から大きな批判を巻き起こした。
教皇は当初、このような批判を中傷、だとしてバロス司教を擁護したが、今年１月のチリ訪問からの帰国後、マルタ大司教を現地に派遣、64人の司教に面談して2300ページにわたる報告書をまとめさせた。この報告書を受けた後、教皇はチリ司教団に書簡を送り、自らの先の（バロス司教擁護の）判断が誤っていたことを認めるとともに、司教全員をバチカンに来るよう求めた。
今回の三日間の協議の内容は公表されていないが、チリ司教協議会は、会長を務めるフェルナンド・ラモス司教が18日に記者会見をする、としている。
以下、英語原文に続く
“In the light of these painful events regarding abuses – of minors, of power and of conscience – we have deepened in the seriousness of these as well as in the tragic consequences that they have had, particularly for the victims,” Francis said in the letter.
As he notes in the 4-paragraph text, the pontiff personally asked “forgiveness from the heart” from some of the victims, including three who were in the Vatican in late April.
According to Francis, the bishops have “united in a single will” to ask forgiveness, “and with the firm intention of repairing the damages caused.”
Between Tuesday and Thursday, the pope and the Chilean bishops met four times. On the first day, the pope gave the prelates a text, asking them to pray on it. During the meeting they had on Wednesday and the two on Thursday, the bishops had the opportunity to speak as well.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Bishop Luis Fernando Ramos Perez, auxiliary of Santiago, said the summit in Rome was “part of a larger process” that began with Scicluna going to Chile, and that will have “many parts still.”
“[The process] will produce a very deep renovation of the spirit of the church in Chile and our mission,” he said. “It will allow us to put Christ, the Lord, at the center, who is the only one who has to shine in the life of the Church.”
Regarding the document Francis gave to the bishops on the first day, Ramos said that it was a “very beautiful reflection,” with a deep look into the reality of the Chilean church from a theological and spiritual perspective, “assuming the hurtful situations of abuse of conscience, power, and also sexual.”
During the following three sessions, each bishop had the opportunity to speak. Barros, at the heart of the problem, spoke on Thursday’s last encounter.
“It was an incredibly frank, profound and truthful dialogue,” Ramos said, calling it a “collegial reflection,” looking from “prayer and in the spirit of Jesus Christ at what the Church needs most.”
However, he refused to share the content of the meetings, insisting on the confidentiality requested by Francis. Ramos did say, however, that the pope had shared he was “hurt” but what’s happened in the Chilean church.
“We too are hurt by what’s happened in the Church in Chile,” he said.
Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez, who along with Ramos was chosen by the prelates as spokesman during these days, also spoke with journalists.
“[Francis] has in his hands the most important decisions, and we are available for whatever he says,” Gonzalez said.
In recent days, survivors of clerical sexual abuse have called for a renewal in the Chilean bishops’ conference, demanding not only the resignation of the four bishops mentored by Karadima, but also of the ones who’re over 75, the age at which bishops are obliged to present their resignation to the pope.
There are five bishops who are 75 or older in Chile, but still in active duty. These include Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, Archbishop of Santiago. It’s still unclear if the pope will accept, or demand, their resignations as a part of the process of renewal, nor when will a decision will be announced if made.
There are reports that the four Karadima bishops have already presented their resignation, but this was not confirmed either by the Vatican or the Chilean bishops.
