Pope Leo XIV Accused Of Ignoring Child Sexual Abuse Claims In US And Peru

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, is facing backlash just hours into his papacy after disturbing allegations resurfaced from his time in the United States and Peru.

Survivors and advocacy groups claim the newly elected pontiff failed to act on serious child sexual abuse reports under his leadership.

The growing controversy is raising urgent questions about accountability, transparency, and the future of reform within the Catholic Church.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and other advocacy organizations have expressed deep concern over Pope Leo XIV’s past handling of abuse cases.

In a chat with the Daily Mail, Lopez de Casas, a victim of clergy abuse and national vice president of SNAP, accused the newly elected pope of failing to address abuse allegations, which Casas said were relayed to the cardinals who elected the pope.

“Staying silent is a sin. It’s not what God wants us to do. Jesus wants us to stop these things, not to make a heathy garden for secular abuse to grow,” he told the outlet.

In addition, SNAP revealed they had informed the 135 cardinals who elected Pope Leo XIV about his alleged inaction. According to them, the reports would subject the pope to constant scrutiny.

“This person will be scrutinized from left to right. That’s helpful for victims everywhere because we have this pope who will be under the public eye in terms of things he was involved with in the past,” Casas said.

The accusations stemmed from Pope Leo XIV’s time in Chicago.

In the early 2000s, while serving as the prior provincial of the Augustinian Order’s Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Chicago, the newly-elected pontiff permitted Father James Ray, a priest suspended from public ministry due to serious accusations of child sexual abuse, to reside at St. John Stone Friary in Hyde Park.

The friary’s closeness to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, an elementary parish school, raised alarms among church officials and the community.

Despite objections, Ray remained at the location until 2002.

According to reports, Pope Leo XIV allegedly failed to inform the heads of the elementary school because, at the time, the church believed Ray was meant to be closely monitored in the friary.

Pope Leo XIV’s tenure at the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, which he led from 2014 to 2023, has also been scrutinized.

Reports indicate that he was aware of multiple allegations of sexual abuse by two priests but failed to take decisive action.

In one case, three sisters, Ana Maria Quispe, Juana Mercedes, and Aura Teresa, reported abuse by a priest in 2004, yet no substantial investigation was conducted until years later.

The sisters reportedly met with the current pontiff in April 2022 to report the abuse.

However, he allegedly blew off their reports, asking them to take their case to the civil authorities while the church investigated.

Unfortunately, the case was dropped due to a lack of evidence and also because the statute of limitations had expired.

On May 8, 2025, the Catholic Church elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who then took on the name Pope Leo XIV, marking the first time an American has held the papacy.

The conclave took place in the Sistine Chapel, where 135 cardinal electors gathered in secrecy to vote for a new pope.

After four rounds of voting over two days, the required two-thirds majority was achieved, and white smoke billowed from the chapel’s chimney, signaling the successful election.

Following tradition, Pope Leo XIV was introduced to the public from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

His election has garnered global attention, with leaders and faithful worldwide expressing their congratulations and hopes for his pontificate.

Following his election, the Pope addressed thousands gathered in Vatican City and millions watching worldwide.

“Thank you to my cardinal brothers who chose me to be the Successor of Peter and walk together with you as a united church searching all together for peace and justice, working together and women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ, to be missionaries, faithful to the gospel,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV then spoke a bit in Spanish before returning to Italian, saying, “To all you brothers and sisters of Rome, Italy, of all the world, we want to be a synodal church, walking and always seeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to those who are suffering…We ask for this special grace from Mary, our mother. Hail Mary.”