Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
8 Apr 2018-31 May 2018 · 54 days · show in timeline

Abuse and cover-up in the Church in Chile

In 2018 the Vatican special investigator Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna investigated abuse in the Chilean Church. Afterwards, on 8 April 2018, Pope Francis admitted that he himself had seriously misjudged the situation and wrote of trust destroyed by errors and sins and of wounds that continue to bleed throughout Chilean society.

Period
8 Apr 2018-31 May 2018 (54 days)
Report published
8 April 2018
Country
Chile
Institutions
Chilean Bishops' Conference
Holy See
Category
Admission, Sexual abuse, Cover-up
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?
Persons
Francis (Pope)
Tower of the Cathedral of Santiago de Chile, cathedral church of the archdiocese
Tower of the Cathedral of Santiago de Chile, cathedral church of the archdiocese Image: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. The special investigators collected 64 depositions; the report comprised more than 2,300 pages. In their own words they were overwhelmed by the pain of many victims of serious abuses of conscience and of power and, in particular, of sexual abuse of minors by consecrated persons, which was denied at the time. The pope wrote of "many lives crucified".
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Absatz 1
    „totaling more than 2,300 pages“
    Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, Absatz 1. Original
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Absatz 5
    „for the amount of work involved in the calm and empathetic listening to the 64 depositions they collected recently both in New York and in Santiago de Chile.“
    Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, Absatz 5. Original
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Absatz 5
    „they had felt overwhelmed by the pain of so many victims of serious abuses of conscience and of power and, in particular, of sexual abuse committed against minors by various consecrated people in your country, which, denied at the time, robbed them of their innocence.“
    Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, Absatz 5. Original
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Absatz 8
    „of many lives crucified, and I confess that this causes me sorrow and shame.“
    Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, Absatz 8. Original

Background

Course of events

  1. The letter followed the report by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna and is dated 8 April 2018.
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Titel
    „Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna (8 April 2018)“
    Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, Titel. Original

Response of the Church

  1. The pope admitted serious errors in assessing the situation and asked for forgiveness.
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Absatz 11
    „I have made serious errors in the assessment and perception of the situation, in particular through the lack of reliable and balanced information. I now beg the forgiveness of all those whom I have offended“
    Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, Absatz 11. Original
  2. He spoke of trust in the Church that had been destroyed by errors and sins, and of wounds that continue to bleed in Chilean society.
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Absatz 1
    „trust shattered by our errors and sins, and to heal some wounds that continue to bleed in the whole of Chilean society“
    Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, Absatz 1. Original
  3. In his letter to the People of God in Chile of 31 May 2018, the pope spoke of a "culture of abuse" and a "system of cover-up" that allows it to perpetuate itself. One of the main failings had been not listening to the victims.
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Brieftext
    „El “nunca más” a la cultura del abuso, así como al sistema de encubrimiento que le permite perpetuarse“
    Carta del Santo Padre Francisco al Pueblo de Dios que peregrina en Chile, Brieftext. Original
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Brieftext
    „Creo que aquí reside una de nuestras principales faltas y omisión: el no saber escuchar a las víctimas.“
    Carta del Santo Padre Francisco al Pueblo de Dios que peregrina en Chile, Brieftext. Original
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Brieftext
    „por esas estructuras de abuso y encubrimiento que tanto se han perpetuado y tanto mal han hecho“
    Carta del Santo Padre Francisco al Pueblo de Dios que peregrina en Chile, Brieftext. Original

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Church document
    Heiliger Stuhl: Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, 8 April 2018. Original (retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
  2. Church document
    Heiliger Stuhl: Carta del Santo Padre Francisco al Pueblo de Dios que peregrina en Chile, 31 May 2018. Original (retrieved 12 Oct 2026)
Change log (4)

The change log is kept in German only.

  • : Aktualisiert: Englische Übersetzung
  • : Aktualisiert: Tatsachen, Quellen, Zeitraum
  • : Aktualisiert: Tatsachen
  • : Aufgenommen

Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.