Once feted for its service to the poor, the Ignatian order is reeling from learning one of its legends was an abuser

Chile has not been short of earthquakes. The one currently shaking the Chilean Catholic Church, once one of the most respected institutions in South America, is high on the Richter scale. Eighteen months after Pope Francis’ visit to the country was overshadowed by an abuse scandal, the late Jesuit priest Renato Poblete, who was one of Chile’s most venerated legends of modern times, has been exposed as a serial abuser of women, writes Jimmy Burns.

When Poblete died aged 85 in 2010 he was widely admired for his work over decades among the poor; he was also remembered for his role as the mediator who helped to secure the release of the son of a Chilean press magnate from left-wing guerillas in 1991.

For many years, Poblete had been the inspirational head and hugely successful fundraiser for Hogar de Cristo (“Home of Christ”), turning it into the country’s leading charity with an annual income of nearly £50 million, with more than 30,000 volunteers working with the homeless, vulnerable poor children, and people suffering from mental health issues and alcohol and drug addiction.