Pope Francis is sending a sex crime expert to Chile to look into claims Bishop Juan Barros covered up sex crimes committed by his influential mentor, the Vatican said in a statement Tuesday.
The move comes following angry protests and attacks on Catholic churches in Chile after the Pope emphatically voiced his support for Barros and said there was no proof of wrongdoing.
"The day I see proof against Bishop Barros, then I will talk. There is not a single piece of evidence against him," the pope told a reporter just days after he met with abuse survivors in Chile and asked for forgiveness over the "irreparable damage" caused to them by Catholic priests.
"It is all slander. Is that clear?"
The Vatican is sending Maltese Bishop Charles Scicluna, the Catholic Church's most respected expert on sex crimes, to "listen to those who have expressed the desire to provide elements" regarding Barrio's case. The Vatican statement also said new evidence had emerged.
Barros was close to the Rev. Fernando Karadima, who the Vatican in 2011 found guilty of abusing dozens of minors over decades. Barros has denied knowing what Karadima was doing, but some victims and witnesses claim he witnessed some of the incidents.
The Pope pledged "zero tolerance" for abusive priests after taking office in 2013, and vowed to deal with ongoing allegations by establishing a commission to propose initiatives "that ensure that crimes that have occurred are no longer repeated in the Church."
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