Misuse covered up? Allegations against Pope Leo XIV. Apparently unsustainable – diepresse.com

When Leo XIV steps on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday evening, not all of them cheer. Initiatives of abuse of abuse in the Catholic Church accused the new Pope earlier misconduct in dealing with perpetrators and victims. The allegations are not new and have already been rejected.

The globally active child protection expert Hans Zollner suspects behind the allegations the community at work that Robert Prevost fought in Peru in his time. Among other things, because of cases of sexual violence, abuse of power and covering up, the Vatican dissolved this community « Sodalitium Christianae Vitae » in mid -April.

Specifically, the current accusations are about two cases. The first plays in Chicago in 2000. At that time, Prevost was the regional manager of his order, the Augustiner. The Archdiocese of Chicago had to accommodate a priest that child abuse was accused of in several cases. At this point, the accused had not been able to do his service for around ten years, worked in the administration of the diocese and was monitored. Because the archdiocese sold the previous place of residence of the priest at the time, they were looking for new accommodation and found it in a monastery of the Augustinian order – in compliance with the disciplinary measures.

The case in Chicago

As a provincial, Prevost had to approve the moving of the monitored perpetrator to the order house. It is now accused of not recognizing the local proximity of the house to a Catholic elementary school as a risk in the accommodation of a suspected abuse. It was only two years later that the US Bishops’ Conference published the Dallas Charter with stricter guidelines on child protection and dealing with abuse cases. At that time, in 2002, the diocese completely released the priest from the active service and he left the religious house. In the meantime, the man, against whom further allegations of abuse were later raised.

Allegations in Peruvian diocese

The second case has already been completed by church as well as civil law, but after a lot of attention in some media, partially rolled up. Three women accuse the diocese in Peru and their former bishop and today’s Pope alleged misconduct up to the cover -up in dealing with the allegations they have reported against two priests. The alleged sexual assault of the clergymen took place before the appointment of Prevost as Bishop of Chiclayo in 2014, they were only registered in 2022.

The Peruvian diocese reacted to public allegations in a television report in September 2024 with a detailed explanation in which it rejects all allegations. Prevost initiated a preliminary examination, suspended the priest from the service and forwarded the results of the investigation to the faith of faith in Rome. Women was offered psychological support and were advised to complain of civil law. The state investigation was discontinued for lack of evidence. The result of the new examination in the Vatican is still open.

Revenge act of a resolved community?

While some victims’ associations are now accusing the allegedly poor use of these cases, prominent abuse of abuse defends the new Pope. The journalist Pedro Salinas, co-founder of an initiative of affected, recognized in a statement Prevost’s « decisive role in dealing with the Sodalicio Falls-one of the worst abuse scandals in Latin America ». Similar to Zollner, he suspects a campaign by former members of the dissolved community « Sodalitium Christianae Vitae », or Sodalicio for short.

Zollner, who heads the Safeguarding Institute of the Papal Gregoriana University in Rome, has so far experienced Prevost as someone who has been committed to combating abuse-« without saying that everything was perfect ». The Jesuit priest certifies Leo XIV very high sensitivity to the topic. (APA/dpa)