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Group accuses new Pope Leo XIV of covering up child abuse cases

The new pontiff had barely completed his first day in office when he was already facing his first scandal

Group accuses new Pope Leo XIV of covering up child abuse cases

A few hours after the conclave elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new Pope Leo XIV, the civil organization Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) accused Cardinal Prevost of covering up cases of abuse against minors during his time as bishop in the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru

The organization, which is dedicated to compiling cases of sexual abuse committed by priests and ing victims, issued a statement after the public appearance of the new pope in St. Peter's Square where they accuse him of omitting these cases, first as provincial of the Augustinians and then as Bishop of Chiclayo. SNAP claims that Prevost knew about these cases and did not act properly to confront them.

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The statement said that Prevost, in his work as an Augustinian missionary, allowed a priest accused of abusing minors, whose pastoral activity had been restricted since 1991, to reside at the St. John Stone convent in Chicago (USA) in 2000, "despite its proximity to a Catholic elementary school".

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In addition, he said that during his work as Bishop of Chiclayo, he learned of three other cases of abuse that were reported to the civil authorities in 2022, because the diocese showed no progress when going to the church to seek help:

"The victims claim that Prevost did not open an investigation, sent insufficient information to Rome and that the diocese allowed the priest to continue celebrating Mass. They even attached photographs of the priest officiating Mass after his complaint as proof," says SNAP.

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The organization had filed a first complaint against Prevost on March 25, 2025, in accordance with the "Vos estis lux mundi" decree, drawn up by Pope Francis in 2023, which establishes the rules that the Catholic Church must follow in the event of having knowledge of cases of sexual abuse by priests or of institutes of consecrated life.

However, SNAP now demands that the Catholic Church exercise "decisive action" by the new pontiff in his first 100 days of pontificate, including the creation of a Global Truth Commission with the full cooperation of the Vatican and the implementation of a universal zero tolerance law in canon law.

They also include international legal agreements to ensure transparency and ability; a Reparations Fund financed by the victims and backed by Church assets, among others.

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