Updated at 3.50pm

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of three Chilean bishops following sex abuse scandals, including Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno, the city at the epicentre of the uproar, the Vatican said on Monday.

In an unprecedented move, all Chile's 34 bishops offered to resign en masse last month after attending a crisis meeting with the pope over allegations of a cover-up of sexual abuse in the South American nation.

The sex abuse allegations were investigated by Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna at the pope's request. The Curia said on Monday that Mgr Scicluna had left Malta bound for Chile where he stay until June 20. While there, he will have meetings in Santiago and will lead a pastoral mission in the Osorno Diocese.

It was not immediately clear if Monday's move meant the pope would not accept any of the other resignations.

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