Pope Leo XIV Accused of Mishandling Abuse Allegations in Peru: Woman Contradicts Diocesan Account
At a press conference organized by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) on July 31 in Chicago, Ana María Quispe Díaz publicly accused Pope Leo XIV, formerly Bishop Robert Prevost of Chiclayo, of failing to investigate sexual abuse allegations she and her two sisters brought to him in 2022. Her account stands in direct contradiction to repeated denials issued by the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo.
Quispe, now a mother, said she was motivated to speak out following Leo’s papal election. She alleged that Fr. Ricardo Yesquén Paiva kissed her on the mouth and touched her inappropriately when she was just nine years old, and that Fr. Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles fondled her and shared a bed with her during a diocesan trip while she was a minor.
Diocesan Response and Disputed Timeline
The Chiclayo Diocese insists that Prevost did initiate a preliminary investigation and submitted findings to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) on July 21, 2022. A second submission, including results from a local prosecutor’s probe, was reportedly sent on April 3, 2023. The civil investigation concluded there was insufficient corroboration and that the alleged abuse fell outside the statute of limitations. The DDF subsequently closed the case.
Quispe, however, flatly denied that Prevost offered any pastoral or psychological support, stating: “Prevost never investigated, Prevost never offered us psychological support.” She further claims that in a meeting with Prevost in April 2022, he encouraged the women to go to civil authorities because “in the Church there was no form to investigate.” She now asserts that this was a lie designed to deflect responsibility.
Inconsistencies in Public Ministry Ban
Despite assurances that Fr. Vásquez had been prohibited from exercising ministry publicly, social media posts documented his presence concelebrating Mass with then-Bishop Prevost in March 2023 and leading a Eucharistic procession with children in June. This appears to undermine the diocese’s claim of having taken prompt and effective action.
In December 2023, the case was reportedly reopened by then-apostolic administrator Bishop Guillermo Cornejo Monzón, and Vásquez was once more asked to refrain from public ministry. A diocesan letter dated July 1, 2025, states that Vásquez has now requested laicization and is suspended from priestly functions pending completion of the process, expected to take 6–7 months. Quispe and the other complainants view this as a maneuver to preempt a full canonical trial.
Yesquén’s Case and the Sodalitium Precedent
The diocese said no canonical case was pursued against Fr. Yesquén due to his “degenerative psychiatric illness,” rendering him unable to respond. He had reportedly not ministered for years.
Quispe’s accusations have prompted comparisons with Pope Leo’s earlier involvement in the exposure and condemnation of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), a lay movement riddled with abuse scandals. As bishop, Prevost was commended for advocating on behalf of SCV victims and helping trigger the Vatican’s investigation that led to the group’s suppression. Quispe alluded to this irony in her remarks, stating that Prevost’s reputation for accountability in that case did not align with his handling of her own.
Vatican Reaction and Parolin’s Ambiguity
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, has said in general terms that reports of abuse received by bishops now heading Vatican departments were “handled according to applicable norms” and referred to competent dicasteries. However, he stopped short of naming Leo XIV or clarifying the exact scope of his involvement in specific investigations.
SNAP submitted a formal complaint against then-Cardinal Prevost in March 2025 to multiple Vatican departments, alleging intentional obstruction or evasion of a proper canonical investigation in Chiclayo.
Ongoing Questions
This case raises fresh concerns about episcopal transparency and accountability—especially given that the current pope stands accused of neglecting victims in a diocese he once led. The overlap between public assurances of adherence to canonical norms and visual evidence suggesting otherwise will likely intensify scrutiny of Pope Leo XIV’s broader commitment to reform.
Nuntiatoria is continuing to examine the Chiclayo timeline, including correspondence between the diocese and Quispe, and the involvement of civil prosecutors and canonical authorities. Further investigation is required to clarify how and when each priest’s faculties were limited and whether canonical due process was in fact observed.
¹ SNAP, Press Conference, July 31, 2025, Chicago – video transcript reviewed by NCR
² Diocese of Chiclayo, official statements, July 2022 – July 2025
³ Facebook post by Ana María Quispe, November 2023
⁴ OSV News/Reuters photo of Fr. Vásquez concelebrating Mass, March 2023
⁵ Letter from Diocese of Chiclayo to Quispe, July 1, 2025, via SNAP
⁶ Cardinal Parolin, post-conclave interview, May 2025 (NCR summary)
⁷ Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, procedural norms on clergy abuse cases
⁸ Suppression of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae by Pope Francis, January 2025
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