ROME, May 2 (Reuters) - Chilean victims of clerical sexual abuse said on Wednesday that they had complained to Pope Francis about a "pathological and unlimited exercise of power" within the Church that had facilitated the cover-up of a sex scandal.
In a joint statement, the three victims, Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton and Jose Andres Murillo, said that during four days of private meetings with the pope, he had asked them for forgiveness for not having taken their plight seriously before.
"For almost 10 years we have been treated as enemies because we fight against sexual abuse and cover-up in the Church. These days we met the friendly face of the Church, completely different from the one we had met before," the statement said.
"We spoke with the pope about the pathological and unlimited exercise of power, which is the cornerstone of sexual abuse and cover-up. We expressed to him how the Church has the duty to become an ally and a guide in the global fight against abuse and a refuge for the victims, something that does not happen today."
In a dramatic U-turn last month, Pope Francis acknowledged that he had made "grave mistakes" in the handling of the sexual abuse crisis in Chile, saying he felt shame for what had happened. statement followed a Vatican investigation into Bishop Juan Barros, who was appointed by the pope in 2015 despite allegations that he had covered up sexual abuse of minors by his mentor Father Fernando Karadima. three men said that during their long conversations with Pope Francis, he "was very attentive, receptive, and very empathetic to their cause".
They described sexual abuse as "an epidemic that destroyed thousands of lives" and said they had spoken to the pope "frankly and respectfully ... especially about the cover-up of the Chilean bishops".