Pope Leo XIV on Monday condemned sexual abusers holding positions of authority in the Catholic Church, expressing support for reparation for victims.The Catholic Church has for decades faced investigations concluding it systematically turned a blind eye to thousands of child sex predators operating globally as priests and in other capacities within the Vatican’s network. This week, the pope acknowledged concerns, telling Spain’s Catholic bishops that one of the “most painful encounters is with those who have been wounded precisely by those who were supposed to care for them, including members of the clergy.”“Faced with this scourge, the ecclesial community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation and an ever more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care,” Leo told bishops, following a 2023 report by Spain’s human rights ombudsman that indicated around 440,000 people in the country were sexually abused in the Catholic Church as children. “Every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection, and real paths to healing.”
Leo, the first American pope, has attracted some accusations that he helped to cover up child sex crimes during his tenure as bishop of Chiclayo in Peru. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has expressed concern that he played a role in covering up how clerics accused of sexual assault were allowed to continue their roles in the Catholic Church, including granting an honorable discharge to a priest who confessed to abusing three children, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
