Archbishop Scicluna who is acting as special envoy sent by Pope Francis to investigate allegations that a bishop had covered up sex abuse in Chile, is undergoing gallbladder surgery today, church officials have said.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna’s archdiocese in Malta announced he was was undergoing the surgely in San Carlos de Apoquindo Hospital in a brief statement released today (21 February).
The spokesman for the Chilean Catholic bishops’ conference, Jaime Coiro, said Scicluna was stable and conscious and wasn’t expected to remain in hospital for more than two days.
Coiro said the pope has asked that interviews with witnesses continue as planned. They are to be handled by Jordi Bertomeu, a Spanish priest who has been serving as Scicluna’s translator and notary, Associated Press reports.
Scicluna came to Chile to investigate complaints about Bishop Juan Barros who has been accused by victims of witnessing and ignoring the abuse of young parishioners by Father Fernando Karadima, who was removed from ministry and sentenced to a lifetime of “penance and prayer” in 2010.
Barros has denied knowing about the abuse.
PICTURE: Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta is pictured in a 2015 photo at the Vatican ©CNS
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