Angry Protest Over New Bishop in Chile

[Warren Stupidity]

SANTIAGO, Chile — Hundreds of demonstrators dressed in black barged into a cathedral in a city in southern Chile on Saturday and interrupted the installation ceremony for the city’s new Roman Catholic bishop, Juan Barros, whom they accuse of complicity in a notorious case of clerical sexual abuse, blocking his passage and shouting, “Barros, get out of the city!”

The scene inside the Cathedral San Mateo de Osorno was chaotic, with television images showing clashes between Barros opponents, carrying black balloons, and Barros supporters, carrying white ones. Radio reports said several protesters tried to climb onto the altar where Bishop Barros was standing. After the ceremony, he left the cathedral through a side door escorted by police special forces. Outside, about 3,000 people, including local politicians and members of Congress, held signs and chanted demands that he resign.

Weeks of protests, candlelight vigils and letters to Pope Francis were not enough to persuade him to rescind his decision in January to appoint Bishop Barros to lead the Diocese of Osorno, 570 miles south of the capital, Santiago. Bishop Barros was a close associate of the Rev. Fernando Karadima, a prominent Santiago priest whom the Vatican found guilty of sexual abuse in 2011. Father Karadima, now 84, was ordered to retire to a “life of prayer and penitence.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/world/americas/angry-protest-over-bishop-juan-barros-in-chile.html

[hrmjustin]

1. In the Episcopalian/Anglican rites of ordinstion there is a point to state objections.

In our church you need the consent of the people during the ceremony of ordination.

I think the RCC should consider doing that as well.

I don't think he has the consent if the people.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. The RCC is an authoritarian hierarchy.

There is no concept of "consent of the people" within the RCC. But perhaps you should talk to Frank, I'm sure he would listen.

[hrmjustin]

3. Actually they used to do it centuries ago.

So they do know the concept.

[skepticscott]

4. This is the kind of "progress"

that the religionistas and apologists on this board praise Francis for.

And a prime example of the Vatican's "zero-tolerance"policy. One would hate to see how many children would be getting raped by priests and how many priests would be not only escaping punishment, but rewarded, if the Vatican's policy was more lenient than they claim it is.