Pope apologizes for word use

rome - After criticizing his remarks about a case of abuse in South America, Pope Francis apologized for his choice of words. He made a mistake when he said last week in Chile that there was 'no evidence' against the Chilean bishop Juan Barros, the Catholic church chief said Monday.

Barros is accused of having protected a pedophile priest. This was what Francis had called 'defamation' last Thursday after he had first begged forgiveness in Chile for the sexual crimes of many clergymen. 'I have to apologize because the word' proof 'has made wounds. It has hurt many victims of abuse, 'said the Pope.

Many victims of abuse have no proof of what happened to them. 'Or maybe they do, but they are ashamed and suffer in silence', says Franciscus.