Chile, Peru await tricky Pope Francis visit
January 15, 2018
In a video message released ahead of his weeklong trip, which kicks off on Monday, Pope Francis has said he will be visiting Chile and Peru as "a pilgrim of the joy of the Gospel" who intends to share "peace and hope" with everyone.
He will first arrive in Chile, a country he knows well — the pope lived here for several years while training to become a Jesuit. But his teachings do not seem to have resonated much with this Latin American country.
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Chile: Political transition phase
Since conservative candidate Sebastian Pinera won Chile's presidential election in December, the country has been caught up in a political transition phase.
Pinera already served as president between 2010 and 2014. When he assumes office on March 11, he will replace the socialist Michelle Bachelet.
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During his visit, Pope Francis will honor the victims of the country's military dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet. After an official church service in Iquique, he will meet two survivors of the junta.
Peru: Turbulent times
On Thursday, Francis travels on to Peru where the political situation is even tenser. Throughout the country, people have been protesting against the controversial pardoning of former President Alberto Fujimori by incumbent President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on Christmas Eve.
Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in jail for human rights violations and locked up in 2009. Critics allege that Kuczynski's pardon was a quid pro quo arrangement: 10 delegates from Fujimori's Fuerza Popular party had protected Kuczynski from an impending impeachment process. Kuczynski has been accused of receiving bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
Scandals and protests
The pope's visit will also be overshadowed by scandals involving the Catholic Church in both countries.
In Chile, Rev. Fernando Karadima has been sentenced for sexually abusing minors. The bishop of Osorno is said to have covered up his actions.
And on Wednesday, the Vatican shut Peru's Catholic Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana institution. The country's public prosecutor alleges that the institution's founder, Luis Fernando Figari, participated in kidnappings, psychological torture and criminal behavior. Members of Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana are also being investigated for sexual abuse of children.
Chilean and Peruvian victims are demanding the pope take an uncompromising stance on criminals within the Catholic Church. They have also announced protests during his visit.
Environmental protection issues and indigenous peoples' right will also be on Pope Francis' agenda. On Wednesday, he will receive a group of Mapuche people in the city of Temuco in southern Chile. The Mapuche are engaged in a struggle over land rights.
Two days later, the pope will visit the Peruvian city of Puerto Maldonado, where he will meet 2,000 representatives of indigenous Amazon tribes.