As a bishop in Peru, Pope Leo XIV’s handling of two abuse cases was a study in contrasts, siding strongly with victims in one and accused of failing them in the other.
Sex abuse scandals have rocked the Catholic church for years, with priests around the world accused of victimizing children and others, and the institution criticized for a weak response.
As Pope Leo XIV becomes leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, his stance on abuse will play a central role in shaping the church’s future as it tries to rebuild trust.
To better understand the direction he might take, a team of New York Times reporters examined Leo’s handling of two sex abuse cases in Peru, while he was bishop in the small city of Chiclayo, from 2015 to 2023.
We found stark contrasts. In one case, Pope Leo — then called Bishop Robert Prevost — sided…
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