Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors Call for Global Zero-Tolerance Policy
CHICAGO (AP) — Survivors of clergy sexual abuse amplified calls Tuesday for a global zero-tolerance policy from the new pope’s American hometown and raised questions about Leo XIV‘s history of dealing with accused priests from Chicago to Australia.
The cases span Robert Prevost’s previous posts. They include leading a Catholic religious order, bishop and as head of the Vatican’s office for bishops, where he was made cardinal.
Allegations of Abuse
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, called out alleged abuse by Chicago priests and other clergy in Peru, Colombia, Canada and Australia where it contended the new pope should have done more.
Along with a worldwide zero-tolerance law for accused priests, SNAP has called for a global truth commission, survivor reparations and church transparency measures.
Demands for Change
“It is our hope that Pope Leo does the right thing,” Shaun Dougherty, SNAP president, told reporters in Chicago. “It is our gut, in our experience, that says that he will need the pressure.”
Associated Press requests for comment to the Vatican media office Tuesday and its diplomatic representative to the United States didn’t receive immediate replies.
Investigations and Controversies
No one has accused the new pope of any act of abuse himself or of knowingly keeping confirmed abusers in public ministry, which has been the biggest scandal plaguing the Catholic Church recently.
Instead, victims’ advocates said he should have involved authorities earlier, been vocal about accused priests and worked to strip them of their titles. SNAP has been gathering evidence of how the church has covered for abusers and provided internal communications referencing cases, including in Chicago.
Specific Cases
Some cases span the time when Prevost was based in Chicago as the Midwest regional leader of the Order of St. Augustine, a job he took in 1999. Three years later, he became worldwide leader of the Augustinians.
One priest who faced dozens of abuse allegations left the church in 1993 before landing a job as a Shedd Aquarium tour guide on a recommendation from a top Augustinian official. The priest worked at the popular tourist and school field trip destination in Chicago for nearly a decade before Shedd officials learned about the abuse claims.
Global Policy Demands
Survivors have demanded the church adopt a global policy that a priest be permanently removed from ministry for a single act of sexual abuse that is either admitted to or established according to church law. That has been the policy in the U.S. church since the height of the U.S. scandal in 2002, but the Vatican hasn’t imposed it worldwide.
SNAP also cited a case in the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, which then-Bishop Prevost led from 2014 to 2023. Three women came forward in 2022 to accuse two priests of sexual abuse.
Conclusion
The controversy surrounding Pope Leo XIV’s history of dealing with accused priests has sparked a global outcry, with survivors and advocates calling for a zero-tolerance policy and greater transparency within the Catholic Church. As the church continues to grapple with the scandal, it remains to be seen how the new pope will respond to these demands and work to prevent future abuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP)?
A: SNAP is an organization that supports survivors of clergy sexual abuse and advocates for greater transparency and accountability within the Catholic Church.
Q: What is the zero-tolerance policy that survivors are calling for?
A: The zero-tolerance policy would require that any priest who is found to have committed a single act of sexual abuse be permanently removed from ministry.
Q: Has Pope Leo XIV been accused of any wrongdoing?
A: No, Pope Leo XIV has not been accused of any act of abuse himself or of knowingly keeping confirmed abusers in public ministry. However, critics say he should have done more to address abuse allegations during his previous posts.
