This is creepy: “Karadima’s Forest”

James Hamilton, Juan Carlos Cruz y José Andrés Murillo, 

víctimas de los abusos sexuales cometidos por Fernando Karadima.

El Bosque (The Forest)

Once upon a time in a charming forest in Chile, a priest named Karadima seduced and abused some boys - young men - and got away with it.  Until a major scandal broke - then the holy priest was sent away to do penance.  In the meantime, his defenders who refused to listen and do anything to help the boys the saint molested, were promoted to higher positions in the Church and so the boys made a film about it and the good people of Chile rioted.  

I just made that up - but it kind of follows the real story.

What's so creepy about the story is the priest - Karadima - was regarded as a saint - not unlike Maciel.  He led a double life.  He was corrupt and took advantage of his position and exploited the young people in his charge.  

I may have some of the details wrong, but a film on what happened will be released in April this year.

That story here:

SANTIAGO, Mar 20 2015 (IPS) - Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Latin America are taking the first steps towards grouping together in order to bolster their search for justice – a struggle where they have found a new ally: filmmaking.
“Besides entertaining us, movies urge people not to forget, to memorise what is happening to us as a society,” Chilean filmmaker Matías Lira told IPS. 

He added that, with respect to the sexual abuse committed within the Catholic Church, “the media has a pending task, and society has a duty.”

Based on this premise, Lira directed “Karadima’s Forest”, based on real events. The film, which comes out in Chile in April, tells the story of a priest who sexually and psychologically abused dozens of boys and young men, and who was one of the country’s most influential priests thanks to his enormous charisma and his reputation as a “saint” – which was even his nickname. 

There is great expectation surrounding Lira’s film in Chile, a country with a highly conservative society where 67 percent of the population of 16.7 million identifies as Catholic. 

The film comes after “The Club”, by Pablo Larraín, winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in February, which also tackles the question of pedophile priests in Chile. 

The case of Fernando Karadima is emblematic. As the parish priest of El Bosque (“the forest”), in the wealthy Santiago neighbourhood of Providencia, the priest forged an empire with the backing of high-level church authorities from the early 1980s until his retirement from his post in 2006. - Finish reading here.

Riot in the Cathedral. (LOL)

Supporters of Bishop Barros tried to stop the protest.

Story here.

Active participation.

Perhaps the bigger story, up here in the U.S, and especially among Catholic bloggers, is the protests by Chilean Catholics over the consecration of  Juan Barros as bishop of Osorno.  I haven't followed the story closely, aside from being slightly amused by the 'riot in the Cathedral' which occurred in response to the installation of Barros.  Supposedly Barros knew about the abuse - perhaps even witnessed it, but remained silent.  Today he denies any involvement.  Nevertheless, the outcry is so incessant at this point, the protests so loud, I'm confident there will be some response from the Pope and the Vatican.

I hope I can see the film when it's released.

Fernando Botero, Promenade

Prayers for the victims and that justice and peace will ensue.


UPDATE: Catholic news Agency has a good synopsis here.