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Gonzalo Duarte García de Cortázar

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Gonzalo Duarte
Bishop of Valparaíso
In office
1998–2018
Preceded byFrancisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa
Succeeded byPedro Ossandón
Great Chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso
In office
1998–2018
Preceded byFrancisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa
Succeeded byPedro Ossandón
Military Bishop of Chile
In office
1995–1999
Preceded byJosé Joaquín Matte
Succeeded byPedro Lizama Riquelme
Personal details
Born (1942-09-27) 27 September 1942 (age 82)
Quillota, Chile
Parent(s)Ignacio Duarte Calderón
María del Carmen García de Cortázar
Alma mater
ProfessionTheologist

Gonzalo Duarte García de Cortázar (born 27 September 1942) is a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church who was Bishop of Valparaíso from 1998 to June 2018. Product of it, he also was the Great Chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, his alma mater.

Biography

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He was ordained a priest by Bishop Alejandro Menchaca Lira on 8 July 1968. On 31 January 1995, Pope John Paul II named him titular bishop of Lamiggiga and Military Ordinary of Chile. He received his episcopal consecration from Archbishop Piero Biggio on 2 April. John Paul appointed him Bishop of Valparaíso on 4 December 1998.[citation needed]

On 18 May 2018, Duarte submitted his resignation to Pope Francis, as did all the Chilean bishops at the conclusion of a three-day meeting in Rome.[1] On 11 June 2018, Pope Francis accepted his resignation as bishop. Francis replaced him with an Apostolic Administrator as he did all bishops who retired following his personal intervention in the clerical sexual abuse crisis in Chile.[2][3]

On the day Francis accepted Durate's resignation, he also accepted those of two other Chileans, Bishop Juan Barros Madrid of Osorno, who had been at the center of Chile's controversy over sexual abuse by clergy, and Archbishop Cristián Caro Cordero of Puerto Montt, who like Duerte had submitted his resignation months earlier at the age of 75 as required. It initially seemed that the resignations of Caro and Duerte were unrelated to the sexual abuse scandal, that they were "customary" resignations because of age.[4] But several former seminarians immediately accused Duerte of sexual abuse.[5] After refusing to comment for several weeks, Duarte said he had tendered his resignation months earlier as required when he turn 75 and that his resignation was unrelated to charges of sexual abuse. He said one complaint against him had been dismissed in court as "without merit" and said a second one misinterpreted an encounter that had nothing sexual about it.[6] Civil authorities heard testimony from Duerte about charges he covered up for abusers on 21 November 2018,[7] The accusers continue to press their case and expressed satisfaction with the progress they were making with the new Apostolic Administrator of Valparaiso, Bishop Pedro Ossandón.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Arocho Esteves, Junno (18 May 2018). "Updated: All of Chile's bishops offer resignations after meeting pope on abuse". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  2. ^ "El Papa aceptó renuncias de obispos Juan Barros, Cristián Caro y Gonzalo Duarte" (in Spanish). Nunciatura Apostólica – Prensa CECh. 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 11.06.2018" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  4. ^ Harris, Elise (11 June 2018). "Pope accepts resignation of Juan Barros, bishop at the center of Chilean abuse scandal". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  5. ^ Blanco, María José; Navarrete, María José (11 June 2018). "Exseminaristas evalúan querella contra obispo de Valparaíso". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Ex obispo Duarte se defiende como gato de espaldas y niega denuncias de ex seminaristas". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 3 July 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  7. ^ San Martín, Inés (24 November 2018). "Chile bishop subpoenaed by prosecutors denies covering up abuse". Crux. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  8. ^ San Martín, Inés (16 November 2018). "Survivors demand justice for abuses in Chilean seminary". Crux. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
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