Pope Francis expresses concern over alleged abuse by priests in Bolivia

Pope Francis expressed concern — and dismay — over allegations of sexual abuse committed by priests in Bolivia in a letter sent on Friday to President Luis Arce, as a pedophilia scandal involving priests continues to rock Andean country.

pontiff pledged “ full cooperation of Church to work alongside government” in ongoing investigations over abuse allegations.

“I express my sorrow ... for deplorable acts that have affected and continue to affect individuals who have been sexually abused by members of church,” Francis wrote in letter dated May 31 that was re Friday by María Nela Pra, minister of Bolivian presidency, at a news conference in La Paz.

In letter, Francis says he shares president's “concern, outrage and condemnation” regarding recently reported incidents, as well as for “ negligence of those who should have exercised vigilance.” Francis was responding to a letter Arce sent him last month after allegations of pedophilia involving a Jesuit priest came to light. Alfonso Pedrajas, who died of cancer in 2009, revealed in a personal diary published by Spanish newspaper El País that he h abused dozens of minors in Catholic boarding schools dating back to 1970s.

President Arce commented on letter on social media, praising Francis' “willingness to take concrete, joint actions against impunity of sexual crimes.” Arce ded that Bolivia should “strengn controls to prevent foreign priests with a history of sexual crimes from entering country”.

Bolivia's Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation and has asked victims to come forward. New cases of sexual abuse have been uncovered as a result of this probe and one priest was sent to pre-trial detention for three months last month.

So far, 12 judicial investigations against clergy members in Bolivia, including one which alrey resulted in a 10-year prison sentence for a priest charged with rape, Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB) said earlier this week. In several of cases, those who have been accused of abuse have alrey died.

Jordi Bertomeu, a Spanish priest who is one of Vatican's top sex crimes investigators, was in Bolivia last month in part to deal with fallout from growing sex abuse scandals. He h previously led investigations into similar accusations by priests in Chile and Paraguay.