Articles by Julieta Villar
Chapel in Argentina vandalized; bishop calls for acts of reparation
Sep 1, 2023 / 16:30 pmBishop Héctor Zordán said the damage inflicted was a criminal act motivated by the intent to “desecrate the sacred place and its contents, rather than theft.”
Church in Bolivia criticizes excesses of raids on Jesuits in sexual abuse cases
Aug 30, 2023 / 16:45 pmThe Bolivian bishops questioned the procedures carried out “under the rationale ... to collect evidence” in cases of alleged sexual abuse of minors.
Exiled Nicaraguan opposition leader to help make criminal case against Daniel Ortega
Aug 30, 2023 / 16:00 pmFélix Maradiaga’s visit is part of a strategy to consolidate international pressure against the Sandinista dictatorship in Nicaragua.
Jesuit provincial in Bolivia says he would not have entered order if he knew about abuse
Aug 17, 2023 / 16:40 pmFather Bernardo Mercado was interviewed recently by the special commission for the investigation of sexual abuse in ecclesial environments.
Prosecutor in Bolivia asks for Church’s cooperation in clerical sexual abuse cases
Jul 31, 2023 / 10:30 amThe prosecutor for Chuquisaca asked the Archdiocese of Cochabamba for the names of the Jesuit provincials during the years 1999, 2000, and 2001.
Archbishop laments 10,000 people have died waiting for medical care in Chile
Jul 25, 2023 / 16:30 pmDuring the first four months of this year, 9,139 patients in the public system have died in Chile while waiting for a consultation with a medical specialist.
Priests lug in supplies to help flood victims in Chile
Jul 21, 2023 / 07:00 amThousands of people had to be evacuated due to the flooding of the Maule River from heavy rains that poured down on southern Chile.
1,000 Chilean college students go out on mission projects during their winter break
Jul 19, 2023 / 14:30 pmOne thousand students from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile set off July 14 for missions projects over their winter break.
Argentine priest is Pope Francis’ new personal secretary
Jul 18, 2023 / 15:30 pmPope Francis has appointed a priest from the Buenos Aires Archdiocese, Father Daniel Pellizzon, 40, to act as his personal secretary.
Bolivia’s attorney general accuses Jesuits of obstructing sex abuse investigation
Jul 14, 2023 / 16:00 pmThe Bolivian attorney general’s office had received a copy of the diary from the Society of Jesus in Bolivia but charged that it contained “gaps.”
Sex abuse scandal in Bolivia: Who had the Jesuit priest’s diary, and when?
Jul 11, 2023 / 16:00 pmThe personal diary of the Jesuit priest Alfonso “Pica” Pedrajas, who died in 2009, has been at the center of a sexual abuse scandal in Bolivia.
Caritas Chile launches campaign to aid victims of heavy rains, flooding
Jun 28, 2023 / 09:00 amThe area has been inundated with heavy rains, causing the Maule River to overflow with at least two deaths and almost 10,000 people evacuated.
Argentine archdiocese to study statue of the Sorrowful Virgin that allegedly shed tears
Jun 14, 2023 / 15:00 pmThe alleged event happened on the evening of June 9 after Mass and a blessing for healing.
New accusations of sexual abuse against Jesuits in Bolivia
May 17, 2023 / 13:25 pmFollowing a report that documented the serial sexual abuse committed in Bolivia by a Jesuit priest, new accusations have been made against other priests.
In wake of the clerical pederasty scandal in Bolivia, bishop says he favors optional celibacy for priests
May 15, 2023 / 07:51 amBishop Eugenio Cóter, head of the Communication Commission of the Bolivian Bishops’ Conference, said in a radio interview that optional celibacy could be a “helpful element” in preventing sexual abuse.
After nine years without ordinations, Argentine diocese has a new priest. Here’s his story
May 14, 2023 / 08:00 amAfter nine years without priestly ordinations, the Diocese of Alto Valle de Río Negro in Argentina celebrated the ordination of Father Alexis Oser, 27.
Bolivian bishops express pain over serial sexual abuse by Jesuit priest
May 10, 2023 / 16:35 pmAn investigation by the newspaper El Pais revealed that Spanish Jesuit priest Alfonso Pedrajas Moreno sexually abused as many as 85 boys and adolescents.
More than 134,000 make pilgrimage to venerate renowned crucifix in Argentina
May 2, 2023 / 16:30 pmPilgrims came this past weekend to the village of Villa de la Quebrada in central Argentina to bring their intentions and fulfill their promises to Christ.
Chile bishop asks faithful not to yield to hatred after third policeman killed in a month
Apr 11, 2023 / 17:30 pmPolice officers, officials, family members, and the faithful bid their last farewell to 1st Cpl. Daniel Rodrigo Palma Yáñez at a Mass in Rancagua, Chile.
Bolivian bishop warns that ideologies in education harm society
Mar 23, 2023 / 10:35 amAuxiliary Bishop Pedro Fuentes of La Paz, Bolivia, charged that ideologies are being imposed on Bolivian society, especially in education.