Francis in Chile and Peru

ON THE PAPAL PLANE -- Pope Francis has again defended his appointment of a Chilean bishop accused of covering up clergy sexual abuse, renewing a claim that accounts against the prelate are "calumny," a claim that survivor advocates say has brought the Catholic Church back to the bleakest point of the abuse crisis.

Pope Francis took his message of hope to this sprawling, dusty capital of Peru, celebrating Mass within view of the rocky, waterless Andean slopes where most of the city's poorest residents live.

Lima, Peru - In one of his last events of his four-day visit to the country, Francis told Peruvian bishops to speak out on behalf of their people even when it may upset the powerful.

Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, one of Pope Francis' key advisors on clergy sexual abuse, acknowledged Jan. 20 that the pontiff's defense of a Chilean bishop accused of covering up abuse was "a source of great pain" for survivors.

HUANCHACO and TRUJILLO, PERU: Pope Francis has called attention to gang-related killings in Peru's northern regions, lamenting the "devastating effects" of the violence during a Mass Jan. 20 with hundreds of thousands on the country's Pacific Coast.

Pope Francis exhorted Peru's political leaders Jan. 19 to fight what he termed the "social virus" of corruption in a speech at the country's executive mansion less than a month since President Pedro Kuczynski narrowly escaped impeachment.

Puerto Maldonado, Peru -- "We have to break with the historical paradigm that views Amazonia as an inexhaustible source of supplies for other countries without concern for its inhabitants," Francis said.

Iquique, Chile -- Updated: Pope Francis defended his 2015 appointment of a Chilean bishop accused of covering-up sexual abuse perpetrated by a fellow priest in the 1980s and '90s, calling the charges against the prelate "calumny."

Pope Francis wrapped up his three-day visit to Chile Jan. 18 by asking the country to protect the record numbers of migrants crossing its borders to benefit from its economy, Latin America's most vibrant, from those who would take advantage of them.

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT -- Pope Francis undertook another surprising first Jan. 18, marrying two flight attendants at 36,000 feet above Chile aboard his flight from Santiago to Iquique.

Santiago, Chile -- In a meeting with thousands of Chilean youth outside Santiago's Basilica of Our Lady of Carmen, the pope told them he wants the Oct. 3-28 Synod of Bishops to hear directly from young people and not others claiming to speak for them.

Temuco, Chile -- "Violence begets violence, destruction increases fragmentation and separation," Francis said in a homily during a Mass with 150,000 Mapuche, Rapanui, Aymara, Quechua, Atacameño, and other indigenous people gathered at Maqueue airfield.

Santiago, Chile -- Travelers from all over Latin America made their presence visible by bringing their country flag, most notably Argentina, which appeared to be the most popular visiting country.

Santiago, Chile -- Pope Francis has asked Chile's Catholic clergy to have the fortitude to ask forgiveness from those who were abused by priests, saying abuse survivors had their trust in the church betrayed and that clerics should seek to "call reality by its name."

Santiago, Chile -- Pope Francis has expressed "pain and shame" over the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests in Chile, telling the country's political leaders Jan. 16 that it is right for the church to ask forgiveness. Update.

Santiago, Chile -- Pope Francis has begun a three-day visit to Chile, where he is expected to focus on helping the local Catholic community regain trust after a recent spate of clergy sexual abuse scandals.

Santiago, Chile -- Francis will be in Santiago Jan. 15-18, in an Andean country that's roughly 75 percent Catholic. But there's not much sign that Chile is about to host its first pope since 1987.

The Vatican was so concerned about the fallout from Chile's most notorious pedophile priest that it planned to ask three Chilean bishops accused of knowing about his decades-long crimes to resign and take a year's sabbatical.

Chile and Peru, the two countries that Pope Francis will visit Jan. 15-21, have recently received thousands of migrants seeking safety and opportunities. 

Local observers say attention during the Jan. 15-21 papal trip may center on how Francis can help the Chilean church regain trustworthiness after a recent spate of cases of clergy sexual abuse.

Pope Francis' weeklong trip to Chile and Peru in January will take him to two regions where environmental issues and demands for indigenous land rights have led to sometimes-violent conflict.