Pope Leo says there should be no tolerance for abuse in Catholic Church, urges transparency
LIMA, Peru — Pope Leo XIV has said there should be no tolerance in the Roman Catholic Church for any type of abuse — sexual, spiritual or abuse of authority — and called for 'transparent processes' to create a culture of prevention across the church.
Leo made his first public comments about the clergy sex abuse scandal in a written message to a Peruvian journalist who documented a particularly egregious case of abuse and financial corruption in a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae.
The message was read out loud on Friday night in Lima during a performance of a play based on the Sodalitium scandal and the work of the journalist, Paola Ugaz.
'It is urgent to root in the whole church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse — neither of power or authority, nor abuse of conscience, spiritual or sexual abuse,' Leo said in the message. 'This culture will only be authentic if it is born of active vigilance, of transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt. For this, we need journalists.'
Leo is well aware of the Sodalitium scandal, since he spent two decades as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru, where the group was founded in 1971. Then-Bishop Robert Prevost, the future pope, was responsible for listening to the Sodalitium's victims as the Peruvian bishops' point person for abuse victims and helped some reach financial settlements with the organization.
After Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican in 2023, Prevost helped dismantle the group by overseeing the resignation of a powerful Sodalitium bishop. The Sodalitium was officially suppressed this year, right before Francis died.
Now as pope, Leo has to oversee the dismantling of the Soldalitium and its sizeable assets. The Vatican envoy on the ground handling the job, Msgr. Jordi Bertomeu, read out Leo's message on Friday night, appearing alongside Ugaz on stage.
In the message, Leo also praised journalists for their courage in holding the powerful to account, demanded public authorities protect them and said a free press is an 'common good that cannot be renounced.'
Ugaz and a Sodalitium victim, Pedro Salinas, have faced years of criminal and civil litigation from Sodalitium and its supporters for their investigative reporting into the group's abusive practices and financial misconduct, and they have praised Leo for his handling of the case.
The abuse scandal is one of the thorniest dossiers facing Leo, especially given demands from survivors that he go further than Francis in taking a zero-tolerance approach for abuse across the church, including for abusers whose victims were adults.
Briceño writes for the Associated Press.
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Pope Leo lauds journalism in comments about Catholic church abuse
Pope Leo XIV defended press freedom and urged journalists not to tolerate any abuse in the Catholic Church on Saturday. 'Wherever a journalist is silenced, the democratic soul of a nation is weakened,' wrote the Pope. His remarks were read at the theatrical performance of Proyecto Ugaz. This play depicts the life of Paola Ugaz, a prominent journalist famous for her coverage of Sodalitium Cristianae Vitae, or Sodalitium of Christian Life. Her reporting uncovered that a group of Catholic Peruvian elites were accused of sexual and physical abuse for years. This led to an intervention by local law enforcement and a Vatican investigation which disbanded the group. After Ugaz and co-author Pedro Salinas published the testimonies of the victims in 2015, Ugaz faced heavy legal and online harassment. She demanded protection for herself and three other journalists to Pope Francis, who received them personally in December 2015. Leo spent 20 years as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru, and working side by side with Pope Francis, helped suppress the group. He called for the creation of a culture of prevention within the church to root out any kind of sexual, physical and spiritual abuse. In order to implement this approach, he stressed the need to listen to the victims and the need for journalists to uncover the truth. Leo's remarks read, 'The victims of the former spiritual family of the Sodalitium, along with the journalists who supported them with courage, patience, and commitment to the truth, reflect the wounded yet hopeful face of the Church.' 'Your fight for justice is also the Church's fight. A faith that does not touch the wounds of the human body and soul has not yet understood the Gospel,' he added. He also stressed the importance of independent journalism for society. 'In this time of deep institutional and social tensions, defending free and ethical journalism is not only an act of justice, but a duty for all who aspire to a strong and participatory democracy,' he wrote. Sexual abuse continues to plague the Catholic Church. Although Pope Francis began to take away the taboo of abuse within church walls, victims are seeking more recognition and action from Pope Leo such as a zero-tolerance policy. Leo has already made the free press a cause for which he is willing to fight. On May 12, Pope Leo called for the release of unlawfully detained journalists all over the world and defended the importance of free speech and press.
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Pope Leo says there should be no tolerance for abuse in Catholic Church, urges transparency
LIMA, Peru — Pope Leo XIV has said there should be no tolerance in the Roman Catholic Church for any type of abuse — sexual, spiritual or abuse of authority — and called for 'transparent processes' to create a culture of prevention across the church. Leo made his first public comments about the clergy sex abuse scandal in a written message to a Peruvian journalist who documented a particularly egregious case of abuse and financial corruption in a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The message was read out loud on Friday night in Lima during a performance of a play based on the Sodalitium scandal and the work of the journalist, Paola Ugaz. 'It is urgent to root in the whole church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse — neither of power or authority, nor abuse of conscience, spiritual or sexual abuse,' Leo said in the message. 'This culture will only be authentic if it is born of active vigilance, of transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt. For this, we need journalists.' Leo is well aware of the Sodalitium scandal, since he spent two decades as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru, where the group was founded in 1971. Then-Bishop Robert Prevost, the future pope, was responsible for listening to the Sodalitium's victims as the Peruvian bishops' point person for abuse victims and helped some reach financial settlements with the organization. After Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican in 2023, Prevost helped dismantle the group by overseeing the resignation of a powerful Sodalitium bishop. The Sodalitium was officially suppressed this year, right before Francis died. Now as pope, Leo has to oversee the dismantling of the Soldalitium and its sizeable assets. The Vatican envoy on the ground handling the job, Msgr. Jordi Bertomeu, read out Leo's message on Friday night, appearing alongside Ugaz on stage. In the message, Leo also praised journalists for their courage in holding the powerful to account, demanded public authorities protect them and said a free press is an 'common good that cannot be renounced.' Ugaz and a Sodalitium victim, Pedro Salinas, have faced years of criminal and civil litigation from Sodalitium and its supporters for their investigative reporting into the group's abusive practices and financial misconduct, and they have praised Leo for his handling of the case. The abuse scandal is one of the thorniest dossiers facing Leo, especially given demands from survivors that he go further than Francis in taking a zero-tolerance approach for abuse across the church, including for abusers whose victims were adults. Briceño writes for the Associated Press.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Pope Leo XIV says there should be no tolerance for abuse of any kind in Catholic Church
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has said there should be no tolerance in the Catholic Church for any type of abuse – sexual, spiritual or abuse of authority — and called for 'transparent processes' to create a culture of prevention across the church. Leo made his first public comments about the clergy sex abuse scandal in a written message to a Peruvian journalist who documented a particularly egregious case of abuse and financial corruption in a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The message was read out loud on Friday night in Lima during a performance of a play based on the Sodalitium scandal and the work of the journalist, Paola Ugaz. 'It is urgent to root in the whole church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse – neither of power or authority, nor abuse of conscience, spiritual or sexual abuse,' Leo said in the message. 'This culture will only be authentic if it is born of active vigilance, of transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt. For this, we need journalists.' Leo is well aware of the Sodalitium scandal, since he spent two decades as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru, where the group was founded in 1971. The then-Bishop Robert Prevost was responsible for listening to the Sodalitium's victims as the Peruvian bishops' point-person for abuse victims and helped some reach financial settlements with the organization. After Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican in 2023, Prevost helped dismantle the group entirely by overseeing the resignation of a powerful Sodalitium bishop. The Sodalitium was officially suppressed earlier this year, right before Francis died. Now as pope, Leo has to oversee the dismantling of the Soldalitium and its sizeable assets. The Vatican envoy on the ground handling the job, Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, read out Leo's message on Friday night, appearing alongside Ugaz on stage. In the message, Leo also praised journalists for their courage in holding the powerful to account, demanded public authorities protect them and said a free press is an 'common good that cannot be renounced.' Ugaz and a Sodalitium victim, Pedro Salinas, have faced years of criminal and civil litigation from Sodalitium and its supporters for their investigative reporting into the group's twisted practices and financial misconduct, and they have praised Leo for his handling of the case. The abuse scandal is one of the thorniest dossiers facing Leo, especially given demands from survivors that he go even farther than Francis in applying a zero-tolerance for abuse across the church, including for abusers whose victims were adults. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
