Survivors believe they have won a major victory in their quest for justice as the original lawsuit they brought before the court was dismissed five years ago.

However, new evidence obtained from raids conducted on the archdiocesan chancery proved that Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz, the retired archbishop of Santiago, closed an investigation into Karadima.

The court was said to have awarded 450 million pesos ($661,000) in compensation for damages to Karadima's victims.

In a press statement, abuse survivors Juan Carlos Cruz, James Hamilton and Jose Andres Murillo said that although the path to the verdict was long and full of difficulties, "it was worth it.

"The strategies of the Chilean church, especially Cardinals (Riccardo) Ezzati and Errazuriz, in covering up abuses, protecting abusers and silencing victims has received a strong response from Chilean courts."

The survivors say both the Chilean courts and the Vatican are "on the same line to end the culture of abuse and cover-up of which the cardinals are faithful representatives."

The court's ruling centered on an email sent in 2009 by Cardinal Errazuriz to Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, the former apostolic nuncio to Chile.

In this, Errazuriz says he presented the accusations of abuse to the archdiocesan promotor of justice, the church's canonical prosecutor, because "it usually calms the aggressiveness of the accusers.

"Out of respect for Father Karadima, I did not ask the prosecutor to interrogate him; I only asked (Auxiliary) Bishop Andres Arteaga for his opinion. He thought that everything was absolutely implausible. Considering the facts, I closed the investigation," Errazuriz wrote.

Source

• The Tablet
• The Catholic Spirit
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

Juan Carlos Cruz, who is one of Karadima's abuse survivors, is grateful for Francis's decision.

In a statement on Twitter, he called Karadima "a criminal who has ruined so many people's lives with his abuse" and offered thanks to Francis, saying he hoped survivors "feel a bit of the relief I feel today."

The Vatican said laicising Karadima was an "exceptional decision" which Francis made "in conscience for the good of the Church," according to a statement from the Vatican.

Citing Canon 331 of the Code of Canon Law, the statement said that in making the decision Francis had "exercised his 'supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church,' conscious of his service to the people of God as the successor of St Peter."

Although Francis initially sentenced the 88-year old Karadima to a life of prayer and penance, the Vatican has not cited any new evidence or crime that may have prompted Francis to revisit the case and impose what clergy consider to be the equivalent of a death sentence.

US canon lawyer Nick Cafardi says Francis was acting fully within his legal right to revisit the case since there's no such thing as double jeopardy in canon law.

"The pope has the ability to intensify a penalty," Cafardi says.

Papal spokesman Greg Burke says in removing Karadima from the priesthood "Pope Francis is acting as a pastor, as a father, for the good of the entire People of God."

"This is an exceptional measure, no doubt, but Karadima's serious crimes have done exceptional damage in Chile."

Source

• National Catholic Reporter
• PBS News Hour
• Image: Al Jazeera