when tomorrow Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati face at 15:00 hours the Prosecutor Emiliano How accused of cover-up Arias, will not be only. Thousands of eyes will rest on the cardinal who became in 1959 to enter the novitiate of the Salesian Congregation in Quilpué and that, with this, it becomes one of the men in the first line of the Chilean Catholic Church to declare by dozens of unpunished abuses com etidos by religious.
He was born in Vicenza, Italy, but much of its religious life lived it in Chile. By this, that Tuesday, not just critics awaiting their statements, will also be the closest and friends who have given contention and have been its support since it began to fall into a vertiginous precipice, where even the end is not.
Within the Catholic Church is running increasingly alone. Some have been bothered by the cold way of being at the head of the institution, by the way of treating cases of abuse or the way in which let – although he had another output – to Bishop Juan Barros after the appointment of the Bishops of the Episcopal Conference with the Pope in Rome.
However, beyond the Church, there is a circle of power and friendship that he is maintained and do not let it fall.
Italian friendship among the most powerful friends of Ricardo Ezzati found Ernesto Crown Bozzo, a businessman who has managed to move strategically into the media, and has even been recognized therefore as when received the Medal “Francisco Bilbao Barquín”, for their outstanding participation in the defense of”freedom of expression”, from the hands of the Grand Lodge.
Linkages of Crown media are old and, therefore, last year took the annual Presidency of the Federation of media of Social communication of Chile (FMCS), which brings together three major professional bodies of the area: the National Association of Television) Anatel), the National Press Association (NPA) and the National Association of broadcasters of Chile (Archi).
“They are very good friends. They may not gather much, but yes they talk frequently,”says a source who knows the relationship between Ezzati and Crown, also marked both by the Congregation of origin, Ezzati: the Salesians.
One of the most remembered of the Archbishopric was the iconic Chilean Radio, which gave birth to the darkest years of the dictatorship and to shut off their microphones in December 2005. Almost throughout its existence the station management was linked to the Catholic Church, especially the Archbishopric of Santiago and the Salesian Congregation. In fact, Crown was director of Radio Chilena between 1997 and 2002, time in which shared office with the Salesian priest Daniel Lescot.
That is why the relationship with Ezzati is not far. Links them not only the Church, but also Italy and the love for the country of origin of both.
Corona began his dirigenciales road in Audax Italiano in 1999, as his Vice President, a position that left in 2011 to become the Chairman of the Board. “It is recognized as the architect of the permanent relationship of the club with relevant institutions of their environment both nationally and internationally, including highlighted its fruitful management as President of the Soccer Channel and its management as a permanent link between” Audax Italian and the Embassy of Italy in Chile”, explained the note on the same page of the club at the time to formalize his new position.
Crown shares the steps in the business with his brother Peter. The first is an attorney, while the second is accountant and former President of the Association of AFP and the National Chamber of Commerce, services and tourism (CNC).
A year after the rise of Ernesto Crown in directory of Audax Italiano, 2012, the club made him a special gift to Ezzati: an honorary membership card that would allow him to watch the games in a seat reserved only for him and as one of the most important members d (e) the Italian colony in Chile. Despite the short time that had to watch matches, the priest received with appreciation the strategic seat. He never played in a club or had great skills for the ball, but during his youth, when he was about 24 years old, he had to arbitrate parties neighborhood of young people on the periphery of Rome, Saturday and Sunday, a party in the morning and another in the afternoon. At noon he took young people to mass.
The Italian colony is an area that has served to Ezzati to maintain a shelter that few places give you at this time. Nello Gargiulo is one of the best friends of Ricardo Ezzati, but prefers to speak with El Mostrador as representative of Italians from Chile in your general Council foreign. Nello met Ezzati at the Decade of the 80s, when he arrived from Naples to Chile.
Gargiulo has Ezzati has been invited as part of the Italian community to some special celebrations, such as the party of the Italian Republic on June 2. “He has participated in several occasions talks about the Pizza Napoletana, which I do in my house with guests and friends, just to exchange views or only have moments of relaxation in a climate friendly and fraternal, as it has tended to be in the last two years with their” “” 4 bishops auxiliary… today each intended to cover a piece of ‘ vacuum “that has occurred in the Church in Chile with so much pain and would add the hope that also springs and appeals to our hearts,” said Gargiulo, who is not afraid to talk about because the ” friendship must be maintained in good and less good moments”.
“I imagine that there are several that accompany it and show him their esteem and give encouragement in this hour of testing. I hope that the support of this group is effective. “However, as far as I was concerned, I can testify that I’ve seen it lately, and without ignoring their concerns, I’ve also admired its serenity, availability to collaborate with a strong spirit, also with every right that a person has to defend themselves”, Gargiulo said.
Linkages with the DC but the strong friendship that has linked to Crown the Ezzati Cardinal not only has to do with blood and one of the largest colonies in the country, but also with the more confessional world of Christian democracy.
Crown was even part of the Supreme Court of the Phalanx, time in which became emblematic resolutions, as the admonishment Adolfo Zaldívar when even was a member of the community. The lawyer and businessman are also part of the Board Directors of the Miguel de Cervantes University, linked to the hard wing of the party: Gutenberg Martinez is the rector and Crown share seat on the Board with Edmundo Pérez Yoma and Edmundo Hermosilla, Marigen Hornkohl, ex spouse of Crown and one of the best friends of Soledad Alvear.
Sources close to the Archbishop discussed the link between Ezzati and Alvear has been important and she had key gestures in the midst of hard processes, as the internal debate of the DC abortion on three grounds. In December 2015, own Cardinal gave Alvear recognition on behalf of the Academy of Catholic leaders. In fact, the same Ezzati phoned the former Minister at the height of his crusade anti-abortion to congratulate her on the road and fortress. In the circle of the former presidential ensures that the relationship between her and the Bishop did not recur beyond that in these contexts.
The network of Catholic leaders also consists of other illustrious “” the DC characters, such as Claudio Orrego, “Gute” Martínez and the Mayor of Peñalolén, Carolina Leitao. Representatives of most hard-right, as Senator and President of the UDI, Jacqueline van Rysselberghe also belong to it.
“The Presidents of the DC were always linked to the Catholic Church,” says a historical activist, referring to all past leaders before Carolina Goic. “There was no decision values which are not consulted with the bishops. The brake put the Divorce Act was clearly the relationship existed with the Church”, adds.
It is that confessional political world which pushed, according to church sources, to the José lawyer María Eyzaguirre to assist him to the Archbishopric of Santiago in the demand that three of the victims of Fernando Karadima presented a few years ago and in which Ezzati was the face visible institution questioned, sagging and punished. “That kind of lawyers is very Catholic, very pious, people who feel that it makes a good Church defending these people,” says a priest.
However, this Tuesday afternoon, when faced with the fiscal Arias, will be Hugo Rivera Villalobos lawyer accompanying Ezzati. If the Marauder manages to pull a thread that accused the Cardinal of concealment, it will constitute an extensive and long research Hank. It will also be the first more complex judicial line that is written by the Italian priest in all his years in Chile.
