Updated at 8:40 a.m. ET Pope Francis, arriving in Chile to begin a three-day visit, opened his trip by asking for forgiveness over a local priest-abuse scandal that has left the country reeling — and prompted a less-than-warm reception for the Argentine-born pontiff. The pope, specifically, is the target of ire because he appointed a bishop who many Chileans accuse of covering up sexual abuse by a now-disgraced priest. Francis directly addressed the controversy in a speech to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and other officials on Tuesday, as Emily Green reports for NPR. "Francis said he felt 'bound to express my pain and shame at the irreparable damage caused by some ministers of the church," Green reports. "He promised he would try and ensure such abuse never happened again." "It is right to ask forgiveness," the pope said, according to an Associated Press translation. It's not clear if the pope will meet with sexual abuse survivors during his trip, the AP reports. Green reports
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