Pope Francis announced Wednesday, September 8 the promotion to the Curia (Vatican government) of a Chilean, who had been one of the first whistleblowers within the Church of his country to denounce the actions of the priest pedophile Fernando Karadima.
Read alsoPedophilia: Pope Francis hardens canon law
Father Andrés Gabriel Ferrada Moreira, 52, will become, as of October 1, number two of the Congregation for the Clergy, which deals in particular with the training of priests.
Ordained a priest in Chile in 1999, he holds a doctorate in theology from Rome.
After working in his country, he returned to work in Rome in 2018 for the Congregation for the Clergy.
Surveys of over 200 members of the Chilean Church
Fernando Karadima, a former charismatic trainer of priests, was convicted in 2011 by a Vatican court of having committed pedophile acts in the 1980s and 1990s. Died last July at the age of 90, he was defrocked in 2018 by the Vatican.
Father Moreira, who has never been attacked by Karadima, testified against him before the Chilean courts.
Read alsoThe Church's plan against pedophilia
The Chilean episcopate, accused of having covered the actions of numerous pedophile priests, has had seven resignations accepted by Pope Francis.
According to official data, up to 2019, more than 200 Chilean Church members are or have been investigated for around 150 cases of sexual assault.
More than 240 victims have been identified, including 123 minors.
The Catholic Church, once very powerful in Chile, has lost its influence since these scandals.
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