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An appeals court in Chile has ruled that the Roman Catholic Church must pay compensation to three victims of the Rev. Fernando Karadima, the country's most notorious pedophile priest.

The court in the Chilean capital said Wednesday that the church must pay about $150,000 each to Juan Carlos Cruz, Jose Andres Murillo and James Hamilton.

It overturned a lower-court ruling that found no proof of a church cover-up.

The Vatican sanctioned Karadima in 2011 by ordering him to a life of "penitence and prayer" and Pope Francis defrocked him last year.

The pope initially dismissed allegations a bishop had covered up Karadima's crimes, but later acknowledged "grave errors in judgment" and asked all active Chilean bishops to offer their resignations.