SboJoe :
Following his election in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV (formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost) has faced scrutiny and allegations regarding his handling of clergy sexual abuse cases during his time as a bishop in Peru and as a leader in the Augustinian order in Chicago. While some abuse survivors have praised his actions against certain abusive groups, others have accused him of failing to act decisively and of covering up abuse, prompting calls for investigations into his record.
Allegations in Peru (Chiclayo)
Case Handling: While serving as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 to 2023, Prevost was accused by three Peruvian women of failing to properly investigate their claims that they were sexually abused by two priests when they were minors.
Whistleblower Claims: The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) filed a complaint alleging that then-Cardinal Prevost did not adequately investigate these claims, did not report the priests to civil authorities immediately, and allowed an accused priest to continue leading mass.
Vatican Response: The Vatican has stated that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith found that Prevost had handled these cases in a manner consistent with church norms, including the Vos Estis Lux Mundi regulations.
Contrasting Record: In a different case, survivors praised Prevost for playing a crucial role in taking action against the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, an abusive, cult-like Catholic group in Peru that was dissolved by the Vatican in 2025.
Allegations in Chicago (Augustinian Order)
Placement of Accused Priest: Reports surfaced that during Prevost's time as the provincial superior of the Augustinians in Chicago (starting in 1999), a priest accused of child sexual abuse, James Ray, was allowed to live at a friary in Chicago from 2000 to 2002.
Proximity to School: This friary was located near a Catholic elementary school, raising concerns that the arrangement endangered children.
Defense: A statement from the Midwest Augustinians noted that this placement occurred before the 2002 Dallas Charter (which reformed US church abuse policies) and that Ray was in a non-ministry setting under supervision.
Response from Pope Leo XIV
Public
2026-10-14 15:56:17