Survivor’s Visit to Chicago Raises Questions About Pope Leo XIV’s Past Handling of Clergy Abuse in Peru
A Peruvian survivor of clerical sexual abuse has publicly called on Pope Leo XIV to implement stronger reforms for protecting victims—raising renewed scrutiny of his own actions as Bishop of Chiclayo. The case has become a flashpoint in ongoing debates over the Vatican’s global response to abuse and the credibility of those now entrusted with reform.
A Survivor’s Plea in the Pope’s Hometown
On July 29, Ana María Quispe Díaz, a survivor of sexual abuse by Peruvian priests, spoke out in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV’s American hometown, to demand sweeping changes in the Church’s approach to abuse cases. Standing with SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), Quispe urged the Holy Father—formerly Bishop Robert Francis Prevost of Chiclayo, Peru—to publicly acknowledge and remove accused abusers, and to enact a global zero-tolerance policy for clerics found guilty of sexual misconduct¹.
Though she praised some of Prevost’s pastoral sensitivity in her initial meetings with him, Quispe expressed deep disappointment that no decisive canonical penalties followed those encounters. “He met with us, he listened,” she said, “but the priests remained in ministry, and justice did not come.”²
The Peruvian Cases Under Review
The controversy centres on two cases involving Peruvian priests Ricardo Yesquén Paiva and Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles, accused in 2022 of sexually abusing minors. Quispe and others allege that Prevost, then Bishop of Chiclayo, failed to conduct a full canonical penal process. They claim the diocesan investigation was limited, internally managed, and failed to deliver transparent outcomes³.
In response, the Diocese of Chiclayo has defended Prevost’s actions. According to diocesan records, he restricted the ministry of the accused, encouraged civil legal action, conducted a preliminary inquiry in accordance with canon law, and submitted findings to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) in late 2022⁴. After Pope Francis transferred Prevost to Rome in 2023, the cases were reportedly reopened under public pressure.
Supporters of Pope Leo XIV argue that the backlash is politically motivated. Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian journalist who has investigated the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), suggested that the Pope’s critics include those connected to this controversial and disgraced movement. In her view, Prevost was “one of the only bishops” in Peru who meaningfully collaborated with survivors and civil authorities, and his opposition to the SCV led to personal and institutional retaliation⁵.
Concerns from the Past: The Chicago Case
This is not the first time Prevost’s past has drawn attention. SNAP also pointed to a case in Chicago in the early 2000s, when he was serving as the provincial superior of the Augustinian Order. In that instance, a priest accused of abuse was assigned to a friary under supervision. While not in active ministry, SNAP contends the decision placed children at risk. No formal charges were brought in that case, but critics argue that such administrative decisions reflect a broader pattern of institutional minimisation⁶.
A Broader Appeal: Global Zero Tolerance
The deeper issue at stake is whether Pope Leo XIV will enact meaningful reforms that address not only individual cases but the global structural culture that has enabled abuse. SNAP has called for a universal zero-tolerance canon law that would require automatic laicization or permanent removal from ministry after even one proven case of sexual abuse—something current canon law permits but does not mandate⁷.
Quispe Díaz stated: “We don’t want apologies or gestures. We want a law—one that protects children, not priests.”⁸ Her demand echoes a rising chorus of survivors and advocates who believe the Church must go beyond procedures to enforce non-negotiable moral and disciplinary standards.
Credibility and the Burden of Reform
Pope Leo XIV’s elevation to the papacy in May 2025 was greeted by many with hope for doctrinal clarity and ecclesial renewal. Yet for survivors like Quispe, the question is not whether the Pope believes in justice, but whether he is willing to risk his own record to implement it. The credibility of his pontificate on this front may well depend on his willingness to revisit and revise past shortcomings—beginning not in Rome, but in the very places where he once served.
- “Survivor of clergy sex abuse in Peru visits pope’s hometown to call for more reforms,” Associated Press, July 29, 2025.
- Ibid.
- “Abuse survivor calls on Pope Leo XIV to take action in long-delayed case,” National Catholic Reporter, July 30, 2025.
- Statement from the Diocese of Chiclayo, cited in “As Pope Leo XIV faces scrutiny, victims of abusive Catholic group say he helped when others didn’t,” AP, July 24, 2025.
- Ibid.
- “SNAP highlights past Chicago case involving then-Augustinian provincial,” Catholic News Agency, July 29, 2025.
- Cf. Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela (2001, rev. 2021), and Vos estis lux mundi (2019, revised 2023).
- Statement by Ana María Quispe Díaz at SNAP press conference, Chicago, July 29, 2025.
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