Pope's visit to Chile met with protests, anger from abuse survivors
Many Chileans are still furious over Francis appointing a bishop who was connected to a notorious abuser.
Pope Francis, right, celebrates mass at the Maquehue Air Base in Temuco, Chile, on January 17, 2018. AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino.
During Francis’s first visit to Chile as pope, he addressed the country’s clergy sexual abuse scandal while also facing fierce criticism for his response to that issue.
The Argentine pope studied in Chile during his Jesuit novitiate, and he knows the country well. But Chileans gave him the lowest approval rating of the 18 Latin American nations in a recent survey.
Several churches were set on fire in the days before and during his visit, including one that burned to the ground in the southern Araucanía region. Francis celebrated mass in the region on January 17.
