Francis ‘warned about Barros before he was made a bishop’

Pope Francis was in no doubt about ordaining as bishop a priest accused of covering up child abuse, according to Concepción Archbishop Fernando Chomalí.

The new Bishop of Osorno, Juan Barros, is accused of complicity in abuse with Fernando Karadima, who was found by the Vatican to have committed serious sex offences at a seminary. The installation of Bishop Barros on 21 March prompted a huge protest demonstration.

Archbishop Chomalí told El Sur newspaper that earlier in March he had met the Pope to discuss the Barros nomination and had given Francis a five-page document with detailed information about the nomi­nation.

“I reminded him of the immense damage done by Karadima,” he said.