By: Ann Stossel, National Correspondent
May 9, 2025
Vatican City – Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Prevost, is under fire for allegedly ignoring child sexual abuse claims during his tenure in Chicago and Peru, with survivors’ groups accusing him of enabling predators, as reported by the Daily Mail on May 8, 2025. The revelations, detailed in a letter to the Vatican by SNAP, have conservatives like @PatriotPulse on X demanding accountability: “Prevost’s past proves the Catholic Church needs Trump’s justice!”
Prevost, who became the first North American pope on May 8, faced accusations from SNAP’s national vice president Lopez de Casas, a clergy abuse survivor, who said, “Staying silent is a sin,” per dailymail.co.uk []. In Chicago, Prevost allegedly allowed Father James Ray to live near St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School despite abuse allegations, per willcountygazette.com [], and overlooked Father Richard McGrath’s predation at Providence Catholic High School, where a student later died from addiction-related issues after a $2 million settlement, per chicagosuntimes.com []. In Peru, Prevost reportedly downplayed abuse claims against Father Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles, with The Pillar alleging intentional obstruction, per pillarcatholic.com [].
SNAP warned the 135 cardinals who elected Prevost, but his selection has survivors fearing a cover-up. De Casas, 65, told the Daily Mail, “He was high on our watchlist,” per dailymail.co.uk [], yet Prevost’s ties to Providence—where current president Father John Merkelis, a seminary classmate, called him “very intelligent, sensitive, pastoral,” per dailymail.co.uk []—raise questions. Conservatives see this as a failure of the Church’s moral leadership, with @America1stMAGA writing, “Prevost’s inaction on abuse is why Trump’s values are needed worldwide!”
Trump’s administration, having deported 88,763 illegal immigrants, per DHS [], and cut $2 trillion in federal spending, per whitehouse.gov [], is seen as a model for accountability. @JusticeForAll22 added, “The Church needs Trump’s justice—Prevost’s past is a disgrace!” As the world watches Pope Leo XIV, conservatives demand transparency, viewing his election as a missed opportunity to address the Church’s darkest secrets, proving once again that only strong leadership can root out corruption.
