VATICAN CITY – After the bishops of Chile issued a formal apology for failing to listen to clerical abuse victims and drew up national guidelines for responding to abuse allegations, Pope Francis sent them a handwritten letter of thanks.

SANTIAGO, Chile – Chile's bishops acknowledged they had "failed to fulfill our duty by not listening, believing, attending or accompanying the victims of grave sins" after a five-day meeting to discuss the clergy sexual abuse crisis rocking the country.

VATICAN – In a letter to Catholics in Chile, Pope Francis expressed shame for the church's failure to listen and defend survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of the clergy.

VATICAN – A survivor of clergy sexual abuse in Chile said he hopes his meeting with Pope Francis will be an opportunity to make a difference and bring an end to a culture within the Catholic Church that disparages victims and makes them feel guilty for coming forward.

SANTIAGO, Chile – A renewal plan for the Church in Chile will be submitted to Pope Francis by Chilean bishops when they gather next month at the Vatican, the president of the Chilean bishops' conference said.

SANTIAGO, Chile – Victims of clergy sexual abuse welcomed Pope Francis' letter in which he apologized for underestimating the seriousness of the crisis in Chile.

VATICAN – In a letter to the bishops of Chile, Pope Francis apologized for underestimating the seriousness of the sexual abuse crisis in the country following a recent investigation into allegations concerning Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno.

COLINA, Chile – In winter, the dirt roads in the slum known as Rivera Sur are muddy and full of puddles.

LIMA, Peru – The Holy See Press Office announced Monday that Pope Francis will travel to Chile from January 15 to 18 and Peru from January 18 to 21, 2018.

SANTIAGO, Chile – Chileans call it the Chilean miracle.

LA PAZ, Bolivia – Bolivian President Evo Morales asked Pope Francis to intervene in a case of nine Bolivians imprisoned in neighbouring Chile. Morales, who hosted Pope Francis on a two-day visit to Bolivia in 2015, asked for a papal envoy to be sent to calm what he claims to be rising tensions and a miscarriage of justice.

SANTIAGO, Chile – Fighting the scourge of discrimination that often accompanies HIV, the Santa Clara Foundation in Santiago de Chile has worked since 1994 to ensure that children with the virus experience God’s love and have a better quality of life.

SANTA ROSA DE LAVADERO, Chile – Parishioners in this rural town used lessons learned after the 2010 earthquake, as well as teamwork and a dose of faith, to help survive Chile's worst forest fires in history.

SANTIAGO, Chile – The residents of La Legua, Santiago's most notorious community, are never sure when the gunfights will begin.

SANTIAGO, Chile – On Sundays, Felipe Pereira is full of enthusiasm. That’s because on Sundays, the 21-year-old goes to Paradise Beach to enjoy the sea along with his friends and to learn how to surf.