COVERUP

14 Chilean Priests Suspended by Catholic Church Over ‘Improper Conduct’

Could deepen child sex abuse scandal that has roiled Vatican, too.

Catholic Church officials in the Chilean city of Rancagua have suspended 14 priests while they are investigated for “improper conduct.” A child sex scandal and its subsequent coverup have rocked the Chilean Catholic Church in recent weeks—all 34 of Chile’s Catholic bishops offered Pope Francis their resignations last week. The 14 priests who have been suspended are accused of covering up abuse by pedophile priest Fernando Karadima in 1980s and 1990s, the Santiago Times reports. “Fourteen priests no longer are allowed to carry out their duties… These priests have taken part in actions that may be civilian crimes as well as within the church,” the bishop’s office in the city of Rancagua said. “We deeply regret any act or situation that violates the values ​​and principles that underpin our Catholic Church and we want to express our solidarity with the victims.”