CHICAGO (WLS) — In the wake of the elevation of Pope Leo XIV, advocates for people abused by Catholic priests spoke out Tuesday.
They are claiming the pope didn’t take enough action on cases that were previously under his purview.
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The advocates said they filed a complaint against then-Cardinal Robert Prevost just six weeks before he was elected pope.
None of the accusations made Tuesday directly implicate Pope Leo XIV in any abuse.
Rather, they are allegations that, throughout his decades-long career, he didn’t take enough action on cases that were under his purview.
Victims advocates said they were so worried that they filed a complaint against then-Cardinal Prevost with the Vatican back in March.
As Catholics across the United States rejoice over the election of Pope Leo XIV, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is raising their voices in concern, alleging that the Chicago-native pope has a history of poorly handling sexual abuse cases over many years.
“It doesn’t seem that Prevost prioritized protecting children at all,” SNAP spokesperson James Egan said.
During a comprehensive press conference held on Tuesday, SNAP members highlighted multiple cases of alleged sexual abuse by clergy who were reportedly under the supervision of Prevost. His roles included being the head of the Augustinian Order in Chicago, serving as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, and most recently as the prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops in Rome. They claim there are up to 78 cases globally requiring urgent attention.
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In each one, the now pope is accused of not doing enough to bring the priests to justice.
“For the new pope to gain any trust from survivors, it is essential for an apology to be made. Additionally, there must be transparency with the release of documents and all related evidence,” stated Sarah Pearson from SNAP.
SNAP brought up the 2022 cases of three now-adult women in Peru, who say they were abused as minors by two priests assigned to the Diocese of Chiclayo. And while the abuse itself took place long before Prevost served as bishop there, he’s accused of failing to initiate an investigation. That failure led to SNAP filing a complaint with the Vatican on March 25.
“Prevost, after he gets this report, he tells the victims, ‘I believe you,’ and then he does nothing that he’s supposed to do under Peruvian policy that he himself set up,” SNAP Co-Founder Peter Isley said.
The Diocese of Chiclayo disputes that, stating that the accused was removed from ministry, the victims were offered assistance and the allegations were reported to authorities.
Pope Leo has given several public statements about the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in the past, encouraging victims to report abuse and speaking out against secrecy.
He has not addressed these accusations directly, but in a statement Tuesday the Archdiocese of Chicago said in part, “to our knowledge, Pope Leo XIV has acted in accordance with Church policies in every abuse case within his scope of leadership at the time and has consistently expressed his compassion for survivors of this crime and sin.”
Members of SNAP said Tuesday’s press conference is not just about lobbing accusations, but about calling on the new pope to do better and do what his predecessors have not: sign a zero tolerance law that would punish those who cover up sexual abuse by priests.
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