Child Sex Abuse Scandal Erupts: New Pope Leo XIV 'Looked The Other Way' When Confronted with Allegations Against Priests In His Church
Pope Leo XIV will be under pressure after the revelations.
May 9 2025, Published 4:20 p.m. ET
Victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests have expressed their "concern" with newly elected Pope Leo XIV, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
A group dedicated to the abused accused the new pontiff of "looking the other way" when it came to religious leaders in his Chicago-home churches.
Accusations of a Cover Up
Robert Prevost of Chicago was named pope Thursday, May 8.
The man formerly known as Robert Prevost became the first American pontiff on Thursday, May 8. Almost immediately, he was accused by a group known as the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests – or SNAP – of covering up his church's sins.
In an open letter, the group said Leo's assumption "highlights the grim reality underpinning the College of Cardinals – many who voted in this conclave actively shielded abusers, and many who will be appointed to the curia under this papacy bear similar stains."
The group said they have received information from survivors and whistleblowers around the world, and had previously warned Pope Francis of Leo's alleged culpability in the cover-ups.
"As provincial of the Augustinians, Pope Leo XIV allowed Father James Ray, a priest then accused of abusing minors whose ministry had been restricted since 1991, to reside at the Augustinians' St. John Stone Friary in Chicago in 2000, despite its proximity to a Catholic elementary school," SNAP claimed.
The Chicago-Sun Times reported in 2021 that church officials approved the transfer, noting there was "no school in the immediate area."
Failure to Act
Crowds at the Vatican saluted the first American pope.
Victims have since claimed Leo failed to open an investigation, sent inadequate information to Rome, and allowed the priest to continue saying mass.
SNAP filed a complaint with Vatican officials against Leo in March – before the death of Pope Francis – but have yet to hear back.
"As the Ordinary of the Diocese of Chiclayo, there is serious reason to believe that Cardinal Prevost did not follow the procedures established by the Holy See for carrying out investigations following reports of abuse," the complaint states.
"There is evidence that the accused priests were not suspended from public ministry following a report of abuse and during the period of the purported preliminary investigation."
Donald Trump has been a previous target of the new pope.
SNAP is now demanding a thorough investigation of the situation, with the results being made public.
They are also calling on Pope Leo to take "decisive action" within his first 100 days as pontiff, including a zero-tolerance law pertaining to sexual abuse and a reparations fund supported by church assets.
As one victim assessed: "Staying silent is a sin. It's not what God wants us to do. Jesus wants us to stop these things, not make a heathy garden for sexual abuse to grow."
Troubles with Trump
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
White smoke announced the selection of a new pope Thursday.
The new pope was barely a day on the job before already fielding questions from his past – including messages critical of the Trump administration.
In April, the new pope shared a post on his X from a Catholic commentator who called out Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele for finding humor in the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland.
The post linked to an article published by the Catholic Standard newspaper, in which Bishop Evelio Menjivar asked of Catholics about Garcia: “Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”
Another repost criticized Trump's immigration policies and rhetoric, in which the controversial politician referred to undocumented migrants who commit crimes as "bad hombres."
Vice President JD Vance has also been ripped apart by Leo, most notably back in February when the same account shared an article calling out the 40-year-old – who converted to Catholicism in 2019 – over his interpretation of Jesus’ teachings.
“JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others,” the headline of the article read.
