AP Interview: Chile abuse whistleblower has message for pope

VATICAN CITY – The key whistleblower in Chile's clerical sex abuse scandal has arrived in Rome for an audience with Pope Francis and says he will urge him to get rid of the "toxic" bishops and cardinals who have defamed and discredited abuse survivors around the world.

In an interview Tuesday in St. Peter's Square, Juan Carlos Cruz said he was honored that the pope wanted to personally apologize for having himself discredited victims. But he said he wanted to also hear Francis' explanation for having seemingly not realized that victims had accused a bishop of covering up for their abuser.

Cruz said: "He's not a pope from Ukraine. He's from Buenos Aires. ... So it's really difficult to understand that this was an unknown. But I want to hear him."