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A new lapse for a cardinal of the Catholic Church: Pope Francis on Saturday (March 23rd) accepted the resignation of Chilean Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, Archbishop of Santiago, accused in turn of covering the sex crimes committed by priests of his diocese.
With our correspondent in Rome, Eric Sénanque
At the age of 77, Cardinal Ezzati had passed the retirement age of 75 in the Catholic Church. The former president of the Chilean episcopal conference was created cardinal by François at a presbytery in 2014. He is accused of concealing three cases of sexual assault, including a rape committed by a priest in the premises of the cathedral from Santiago.
Always frugal in its communication, the Vatican made no comment. But unlike Cardinal Barbarin in France, the pope has accepted that the cardinal renounces his office . Last year, Cardinal Ezzati had presented to the pope his resignation, like all the bishops of the country. Pope Francis appointed an apostolic administrator in Santiago, the time to find a successor to the cardinal of Italian origin.
The purge therefore continues in the Church of Chile. This is the eighth resignation of a Chilean bishop accepted by the Vatican since May 2018. With this resignation, one-third of Chile's 27 ecclesiastical provinces are now run by apostolic administrators.
The now-former archbishop of Santiago has to withdraw to a Salesian community, his religious family, pending his trial.