Facing Allegations: New Pope Leo XIV's Controversial Past
Pope Initiates Intercontinental Linkage
Say hello to Leo XIV, the upcoming Pontiff with a controversial past. Born in the US and active in Peru for decades, he's about to connect Catholics worldwide. But accusations lurk from his time in Peru, causing quite a stir.
This isn't just another American Pope. With South American citizenship, he follows in the footsteps of Francis, the Argentinian predecessor. As the German Latin America aid organization Adveniat puts it, Leo XIV is a "bridge-builder between the Global North and Global South." He's an opposing figure to the US government's militant Christianity, as seen by his social media activity criticizing the administration.
Leo XIV started his journey to the Church's top in Peru. He worked as a missionary, priest, teacher, and bishop of the Peruvian city of Chiclayo for 20 years. To hold this office, he had to take Peru's citizenship. Spending the majority of his life outside the US, he's no stranger to foreign lands.
Controversial Church Reign
During his reign as Bishop from 2015 to 2023, Leo XIV frequently visited remote communities and got laypeople involved in social work. Yolanda Díaz, a teacher and church member in Chiclayo, shared her thoughts with the "New York Times": "He wanted the church to go to the people, not just expect them to come to the church." Roughly three-quarters of Peru's population identifies as Catholic.
However, allegations against the new Pope date back to his time in Peru. Three women accused him of covering up abuse cases in his diocese. Sarah Pearson, spokesperson for SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), voiced deep concern in a statement. According to SNAP, the women reported their cases to the diocese but didn't receive any investigation, nor did they see any information forwarded to Rome or disciplinary actions taken against the involved priests.
Unresolved Accusations
Despite these accusations, Peruvian investigative journalist Pedro Salinas dismissed them as baseless, attributing them to an ultraconservative faction within the Church trying to discredit Leo XIV. Salinas, a former member of the Peruvian ultra-conservative congregation Sodalicio, left the order and later investigated it for sexual abuse cases. Notably, Pope Francis disbanded this congregation in January 2024 due to its misdeeds, marking the largest abuse scandal in Peruvian Church history.
SNAP's demands from Leo XIV as Pope include ending the "abuse crisis" by establishing a compensation fund for victims, adopting a Zero Tolerance policy in church law, forming an internal church agency to oversee and enforce these rules, and enacting international legal agreements for transparency and accountability.
Regardless of how the new Pope handles this issue, it's undeniable that he connects continents. With a foot in the US and roots in Peru, plus a likely expansion to five more continents as Pope, he's more than a theologian—he's a leader who understands the Church's critical role in poverty-stricken areas, having worked there himself.
Sources: ntv.de, SNAP
- Peru
- Vatican
- USA
(Enrichment Data: During his tenure as Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, Pope Leo XIV faced serious allegations regarding the mishandling and cover-up of abuse cases involving priests under his jurisdiction. Accusations against him include failure to initiate proper investigations, sending insufficient information to the Vatican, and allowing accused priests to continue performing Mass despite ongoing complaints. These allegations are compounded by previous concerns from his time as provincial of the Augustinians, where he allegedly allowed a priest accused of abuse since 1991 to reside near a Catholic elementary school in Chicago in 2000. SNAP and survivors have called for decisive action within the first 100 days of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, including establishing an independent Global Truth Commission, adopting a Universal Zero Tolerance Law into canon law, creating international legal agreements for transparency and accountability, funding a survivor-supported Reparations Fund from church assets, and forming a Global Survivors Council empowered to enforce compliance. These concerns and calls for action highlight the ongoing critical scrutiny of Leo XIV’s record on abuse case management during his leadership roles both in Peru and the United States.)
- Despite his controversial past, Pope Leo XIV's deep connection with Peru, where he served as Bishop for nearly a decade, is undeniable.
- The Vatican and the USA alike will have to reckon with the baseless allegations that surfaced during Leo XIV's time in Peru, initating a conversation about abuse cover-ups and accountability within the Church.
- Regardless of politics and general-news, the new Pope's relation to Peru, his birthplace in the USA, and his future as a leader of Catholics worldwide is set to transcend continents, regardless of the unresolved accusations against him.
- As a potential trailblazer who connects the Global North and South, regardless of the controversy surrounding his past tenure as Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, Pope Leo XIV's role in addressing the abuse crisis and forging accountability within the Church remains a significant part of his future reforms.
