As Pope Leo XIV begins his tenure as the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, his past actions as Bishop Robert Prevost in Peru have come under renewed scrutiny — revealing a complex legacy of both heroic intervention and troubling oversight gaps in cases of clergy sexual abuse.
In one widely praised case, Prevost took an extraordinary stand against the ultra-conservative Catholic group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. Victims say the group, cloaked in religious rigor, recruited children of elite families and subjected them to severe sexual, psychological, and physical abuse. Prevost, unlike many Peruvian bishops, arranged direct meetings between survivors and Church leaders, facilitated mental health care, and advocated for financial reparations. He continued pushing the Vatican to act, contributing to the eventual order to disband the group just weeks before he became Pope.
“He was never at all an indifferent, indolent or cowardly bishop,” said journalist and abuse survivor Pedro Salinas, co-author of the exposé Half Monk, Half Soldier.
However, in a second, more contentious case, three women in Chiclayo — a working-class city where Prevost was bishop — allege he inadequately investigated claims that two local priests had sexually abused them as children. Though he initially encouraged the women to file civil complaints, victims say follow-up actions were hollow: one of the accused, Rev. Eleuterio Vásquez, continued leading public Masses despite supposedly being barred. Photographic evidence, including images of Vásquez celebrating Mass alongside Prevost, contradicts church claims that he was sidelined.
Another priest accused during Prevost’s time, Rev. Alfonso Obando, was ordered to cease parish work during an investigation, but social media posts show him actively working with children for years afterward. He was only defrocked recently — yet reportedly still operates within Chiclayo.
The Vatican defends Prevost’s conduct, stating he followed proper procedure and submitted findings to Rome. But many survivors and advocates argue the Church’s own guidelines are inadequate. Critics have long called for zero-tolerance policies and independent oversight of bishops — measures currently adopted only in the U.S.
Ana María Quispe, one of the Chiclayo survivors, has gone public with her outrage, saying the system continues to protect abusers while survivors are sidelined.
“They always protect them,” she said on TikTok. “Total freedom to continue doing harm.”
In a twist, some supporters of Prevost argue that his critics may include allies of Sodalitium, using legitimate grievances from victims to launch a retaliatory smear campaign. The diocese has since reopened the investigation into Vásquez, who has reportedly asked to leave the priesthood.
Whether Pope Leo XIV will lead a transformative era in Church accountability or continue to walk the cautious middle ground remains to be seen. As survivor advocate Peter Isely bluntly put it:
“He’s going to have to bend over backwards to prove he can be trusted.”
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