Santiago, Chile, Nov 15, 2018 / 17:29 pm
A close advisor of Pope Francis has left the "C9", the pope's body of cardinal advisors, as he faces charges of covering up for clerical sex abuse in his home country of Chile.
Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago, told Radio Cooperativa that he has officially left the Council of Cardinals, and noted that it was not a resignation but the end of his term. He said he travelled to Rome to bid farewell to Pope Francis and to thank him.
The announcement came at the same time that a Chilean court said it is summoning the cardinal on charges that he protected Father Jorge Laplagne, accused of sexual abuse of minors.
Victims of sex abuse have also filed a complaint with the Chilean court against Errazuriz for "false testimony" in the case of former priest Fernando Karadima, who has been found guilty by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the sexual abuse of minors.