Pope Francis on Thursday strongly defended a Chilean bishop accused of covering up a priest's sexual abuse of minors.

"The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, then I will speak," the pope said in response to a journalist's question about the 61-year-old bishop, appointed by Francis in 2015 despite being accused of covering up another priest's abuse of boys.

"There is not a single piece of proof against him. Everything is slander. Is this clear?" the pope said before celebrating open-air mass in the northern city of Iquique.

Source: AFP