Pope Leo XIV is under renewed scrutiny over claims that he mishandled priest abuse cases while serving as a leader in the Catholic Church in Chicago.
On Tuesday, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) held a news conference, claiming Leo exhibited a “pattern of failure to properly investigate abuse claims” during his time as head of the Augustinian order in Chicago.
“It was his responsibility to follow the meager church protocols and laws put in place,” James Egan, a SNAP spokesperson, said. “Given his record, it doesn’t seem that he prioritized protecting children at all.”
Leo XIV, formerly Robert Prevost, became the first American pope earlier this month. While he led the Augustinian order in Chicago, the Archdiocese faced numerous clergy abuse allegations. A 2023 report by the Illinois Attorney General found that more than 450 Catholic clergy in the state had abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, with many cases occurring in the Chicago area.
SNAP argues that Prevost’s leadership did not go far enough to address the crisis with transparency. While some reforms were made, including background checks and abuse-prevention training, the group questioned how thoroughly the accused were investigated.
In response to the news conference, Rev. Anthony Pizzo, current provincial of the Augustinians of the Midwest, defended Pope Leo XIV, saying he implemented child protection protocols in 2001 and remains committed to safeguarding children and supporting victims.
SNAP also raised concerns about Prevost in a March lawsuit filed with the Vatican. The first case allegedly happened in Chicago in 2000, where Prevost allowed a priest, Rev. James Ray, accused of abusing at least 13 minors, to live near a school.
The same suit also accused him of missteps while serving as a bishop in Peru.
The Vatican has not issued a formal statement regarding these concerns, although it denied that Prevost approved housing for the accused priest.
However, Ray told the Sun-Times on Tuesday that Prevost had permitted him to stay there.
“We are not going to comment on third-party conversations that a reporter from another newspaper claims to have had with another individual, at this time,” Michael Airdo, an attorney for the Midwest Augustinians, said in a statement, per the Chicago Tribune.
