Chilean Catholics protest naming of Bishop linked to sex abuse
None
Black balloons in hand, hundreds of Catholics gathered at a church in the small Chilean city of Osorno on Saturday to protest the appointment of bishop Juan Barros, accused of protecting one of the nation's most notorious pedophiles.
The appointment has sparked outrage from many parishioners and puts into question Pope Francis' promise to rid the church of sex abuse.
Critics say Barros was aware and helped cover up abuse by Father Fernando Karadima, whose case is the most infamous of a number of allegations of pedophilia within the Catholic church in Chile.
In 2011, Santiago-based Karadima was found guilty by the Vatican of abusing teenage boys over many years. Freed from criminal prosecution after the case against him collapsed for technical reasons, the church punished him by banning him from celebrating public mass.
