Unveiling Doubts: Pope Leo XIV's Tangled Past
Pope Forges Connections Across Global Landmasses
When it comes to choosing a new leader for the Catholic Church, the cardinals select an individual who can unite Catholics across the globe. Robert Prevost, known as Leo XIV, fits the bill. Hailing from the USA but spending decades in Peru, he embodies the connection between the continents. He's set to extend his impact worldwide. But there's a cloud over his appointment – accusations from Peru and a victims' association.
Leo XIV: Building Bridges, Entering Strife
Leo XIV has skilled credentials for his potential role as a global leader. He's not the first American pope, nor the first South American one, after his predecessor Francis. Adveniat, a German Latin America aid organization, describes him as a "bridge-builder between the Global North and Global South." With a US president who prefers walls over bridges, someone like Leo XIV offers a powerful contrast.
Accusations of Silencing the Victims
Prevost has played a pivotal role in serving remote communities during his time as Bishop in Peru, from 2015 to 2023. Yolanda Díaz, a teacher and member of the church in Chiclayo, praised his approach: "He wanted the church to go to the people, not the other way around." Although over three-quarters of the population in Peru identify as Catholic, there have been accusations against the new pope stemming from his past in South America. Three women alleged cover-ups of abuse cases in Prevost's Peruvian diocese.
Sarah Pearson, a spokesperson for SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), expressed serious concerns about Prevost's handling of abuse cases. She referred to the victims who reported their cases to the Chiclayo diocese, only to be ignored by Prevost himself. He took no action, nor did he share reports with Rome or impose discipline on the two implicated priests.
SNAP's Plea to the New Pope
Critics have suggested that the accusations against Prevost are rooted in a campaign orchestrated by a conservative faction within the Catholic Church. Pedro Salinas, a Peruvian investigative journalist, labels the accusations as baseless. Salinas is a former member of the Peruvian ultra-conservative congregation Sodalicio. He spent years investigating sexual abuse cases within this congregation, which Pope Francis dissolved in January 2024 due to its misdeeds, marking the largest publicized abuse scandal in Peruvian church history.
SNAP is now urging Prevost, under his new title as Pope Leo XIV, to end the "abuse crisis" in the Church. They demand a financial support fund for victims, a zero-tolerance policy, and the creation of an internal agency within the Church to enforce these regulations.
Regardless of how Leo XIV addresses this issue, he is already connecting continents. As an American with Peruvian citizenship, like Francis, he's not just a scholar, but someone who understands the role of the Church in places afflicted by poverty, having worked there himself. So far, Prevost was active on two continents. As Leo XIV, he will represent five.
- The accusations against Pope Leo XIV, originating from his time in Peru, suggest he failed to act on reports of abuse within his Peruvian diocese.
- SNAP, a survivors' group, has expressed grave concerns about Leo XIV's handling of abuse cases and calls for him, now as Pope, to end the crisis in the Church.
- Critics argue the accusations against Leo XIV may be part of a conservative faction's campaign within the Catholic Church, while others, such as Peruvian investigative journalist Pedro Salinas, label them as baseless.
- As the first pope with American and Peruvian citizenship, Leo XIV not only brings scholarly expertise but also a personal understanding of the Church's role in poverty-stricken areas, having served on two continents, and now has the opportunity to represent five as Pope.
