On Thursday, the crisis meeting between Pope Francis and a delegation of Chilean bishops regarding the cover-up of sexual abuse in the country has ended, leaving questions among the clerge and media that some bishops may resign after the talks.
In a letter the Vatican said the pope handed to each of the 34 bishops after the four days of meetings, Pope Francis said the discussions were "frank" and they had discussed "painful events regarding abuses - of minors, of power and of conscience."
He said that the bishops agreed to short to long-term changes in order to restore justice and Church unity, but did not elaborate further on the details. The pope also remarked that the meeting ended with "the firm intention to repair the damage done."
On Friday, one of the Chilean bishops included in the meeting will be holding a news conference and there has been speculation growing that he or the Vatican may announce the resignation of one or more of the bishops which were most tainted by the scandal that shook the country.
The key bishop said to be involved in the crisis is Juan Barros, who was recently appointed by the pope to Osorno in 2015 despite the allegations that he covered up the sexual abuse of minors done by his mentor, Father Fernando Karadima. Barros has repetitively said he was unaware of any wrongdoing.
A Vatican spokesman also said they could not confirm a report by Argentina's Clarin newspaper saying that Barros and several other bishops offered their resignations to the pope.
Prior to the beginning of the meetings, San Bernardo's Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez said that he could not rule out some of the tainted bishops resigning or being sacked despite the demands of the Chileans for these bishops to resign.
He said, "It does not depend on us. Each person must decide this together with the pope."
In January, Pope Francis said that he had no proof against Barros while he was in Chile and believed he was innocent. However, after returning to Rome, the pope ordered top sexual abuse investigator Archbishop Charles Scicluna to go to Chile to speak with the victims, witnesses and other Church members. Scicluna presented a 2,300-page report which prompted the Pope to call for a crisis meeting with the bishops and its contents were also discussed.
Further speculation regarding the possible changes caused by the meetings further grew on Thursday when Spanish priest Father Jordi Bertomeu, who assisted Scicluna in his investigations, told reporters in Rome that they should "expect some measures."
Karadima was found guilty of sexually abusing minors in Santiago in the 1970s and 1980s in 2011's Vatican investigation. However, he did not face civilian justice due to the current statute of limitations on such cases. Currently, the former priest is living in a nursing home in Chile. Karadima had denied the allegations each time he was approached for a statement.
