Leo XIV

In June 2026, El País revealed that a woman accused Augustinian priest Álvaro Martín Fuente of abuse committed when she was a child in Madrid. Her family had alerted the school in 2005, and she filed a police complaint in 2010. The Order opened no internal investigation and took no lasting measures for sixteen years, while Prevost was Prior General at the time of the police complaint. The Augustinians acknowledged institutional "negligence" and removed the priest from contact with minors in 2026.

State of the evidence

The family's 2005 report, the 2010 police complaint and the prolonged absence of internal action are documented by El País; the Order acknowledges negligence.

Legal status — source text

The 2010 criminal proceedings were discontinued because of the limitation period; no public evidence establishes that Prevost knew about the case at the time.

Attribution

General hierarchical responsibility as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine (2001–2013), but no established personal knowledge.

In the separate scandal involving the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, several survivors explained that Prevost listened to them, supported their requests for redress and facilitated a meeting with Pope Francis in 2022, before a more extensive Vatican investigation and the movement's suppression. Under Leo XIV, a compensation scheme funded by Sodalicio assets was opened in Peru in 2026.

State of the evidence

Prevost's support for several victims and his reported role in escalating the case to the Vatican are extensively documented.

Legal status — source text

The Sodalicio was suppressed by the Vatican; the case is not proceedings against Prevost.

Attribution

Direct involvement described positively by survivors; significant countervailing evidence against general allegations of protecting abusers.

Three sisters, including Ana María Quispe Díaz, accused two Chiclayo priests of abuse committed when they were minors and submitted their complaints to Prevost in April 2022. They subsequently criticised the diocese for an inadequate investigation, lack of information and the continuation of ministry by one of the priests. The case was referred to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and closed in 2023 before being reopened by Prevost's successor.

State of the evidence

The complaints, meeting with Prevost, referral to Rome and criticism of the investigation's quality are documented; the allegation of a personal cover-up remains disputed.

Legal status — source text

Complex canonical case: closed by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2023, then reopened under the subsequent administration; no personal conviction of Prevost identified.

Attribution

Direct responsibility as the bishop who received the complaints and supervised diocesan handling; guilt for concealment not established.

Six weeks before his election as Pope, SNAP lodged a complaint with the Vatican under "Vos estis lux mundi" against Prevost over alleged acts or omissions in the James Ray and Chiclayo cases. The organisation sought an independent investigation, citing provisions concerning interference with, or avoidance of, civil or canonical investigations. An update was announced in late 2025 following new media reports.

State of the evidence

The formal filing and subsequent update of the complaint are established; the allegations remain unadjudicated.

Legal status — source text

No reasoned public decision resolving the complaint against Leo XIV had been identified as at 12 September 2026.

Attribution

Direct attribution as the subject of the complaint; no presumption of guilt.

At the beginning of his pontificate, Leo XIV reaffirmed that the family is based on the stable union of a man and a woman and on the dignity of the unborn child. In September 2025, he publicly received Jesuit James Martin, a prominent advocate for welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics, during an LGBTQ+ pilgrimage listed in the Jubilee calendar. In April 2026, he said that he did not intend to go beyond the informal blessings of same-sex couples permitted under Francis, in order to avoid further division within the Church.

State of the evidence

Public statements, audiences and decisions documented.

Legal status — source text

No proceedings; doctrinal and pastoral controversy.

Attribution

Direct attribution to the Pope for his statements and audiences; certain decisions are institutional.

Reposts associated with Robert Prevost's X account criticised Donald Trump's immigration policies and JD Vance's interpretation of the "order of love". Once Pope, Leo XIV explicitly criticised the "inhumane" treatment of migrants in the United States and stated that a defence of life that ignores migrants or supports the death penalty lacks consistency. His remarks also came amid controversy over a planned award for Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who supports abortion rights but was recognised for his work on immigration.

State of the evidence

Posts associated with Prevost and subsequent papal positions are documented; Reuters had not immediately authenticated the X account's operator in May 2025.

Legal status — source text

No proceedings; public political and moral dispute.

Attribution

Direct attribution for papal statements; cautious attribution for pre-pontificate posts from the X account.

Leo XIV explicitly authorised American Cardinal Raymond Burke, a conservative critic of Francis, to celebrate Mass according to the old Latin rite in St Peter's Basilica. The gesture was welcomed by traditionalists hoping for a reversal of restrictions introduced in 2021 and revived debate over liturgy as a marker of Catholic culture wars. In March 2026, he asked French bishops to seek practical solutions to include the faithful attached to the Vetus Ordo; in August, he reaffirmed that Vatican II's liturgical reform forms part of the Church's living tradition.

State of the evidence

Leo XIV's explicit authorisation and the celebration at St Peter's documented.

Legal status — source text

No proceedings; liturgical and ecclesiastical controversy.

Attribution

Direct responsibility for papal authorisation; general policy on the traditional Mass not completely reversed.

A Vatican commission submitted a report to Leo XIV concluding by seven votes to one that, at this stage, historical and theological study did not justify opening the sacramental diaconate to women, while recommending further research and broader participation in other ministries. Supporters of the female diaconate condemned the outcome as too restrictive.

State of the evidence

The commission's 7–1 vote and submission of its report to Leo XIV are documented.

Legal status — source text

No proceedings; internal doctrinal debate.

Attribution

Final doctrinal responsibility lies with the Pope, but the vote was that of an independent commission.

During his visit to Spain, Leo XIV met six abuse survivors and urged bishops to listen to victims and provide redress. However, survivors' groups protested that the meeting was too limited and a "public relations" exercise, particularly criticising his visit to Montserrat without meeting certain local victims. The controversy was heightened by the presence at an Augustinian gathering of Agustín Alcalde, a former provincial superior associated with the absence of an internal investigation into the Madrid case revealed days earlier.

State of the evidence

The meeting, calls for redress and protests by groups not received are documented.

Legal status — source text

No personal proceedings; controversy over the scope and representativeness of the papal response.

Attribution

Direct attribution concerning the choice of meetings and communications during the visit; broader institutional responsibility for redress.

Despite Leo XIV's repeated opposition, the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X consecrated four bishops without a papal mandate. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith described the act as schismatic in nature and confirmed that the excommunications had been incurred. The episode became the most serious traditionalist conflict of the beginning of his pontificate.

State of the evidence

The consecrations without a mandate, the Pope's explicit opposition and the automatic excommunications are officially documented.

Legal status — source text

Canonical decree of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith confirming excommunication latae sententiae.

Attribution

Direct responsibility for refusal of the mandate and exercise of papal authority; the schismatic act was committed by those performing and receiving the consecrations.

Leo XIV continued the politically sensitive agreement between the Holy See and Beijing concerning episcopal appointments. In July 2026, two bishops were ordained in Inner Mongolia within one week following the Pope's approval of their candidacies, illustrating continuity in a strategy that gives Beijing a role in the selection process.

State of the evidence

The two ordinations under the provisional agreement and papal approval of the candidates are documented.

Legal status — source text

No proceedings; diplomatic and ecclesiastical controversy.

Attribution

Direct political responsibility of Leo XIV for continuing the policy and approving the candidates, within the framework of an agreement inherited from Francis.

Victims' associations and media outlets criticised the Order of Saint Augustine for delays in publicly accounting for members accused of abuse. The case of Richard McGrath, a former head of Providence Catholic High School accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a pupil in the 1990s, contributed to that criticism. Prevost led the Chicago province and subsequently the worldwide Order during part of the period when transparency policies were developing.

State of the evidence

Criticism concerning the historical absence of a comprehensive list and the McGrath civil settlement are documented; Prevost's personal connection with subsequent decisions remains limited.

Legal status — source text

The McGrath litigation was settled in civil proceedings in 2023 without admission of wrongdoing; Prevost was not identified as a personal defendant.

Attribution

General institutional responsibility as provincial superior and subsequently Prior General; weak personal attribution concerning the McGrath litigation itself.

At the Synod on the New Evangelisation, Prevost criticised Western media culture's sympathy towards abortion, euthanasia and the "homosexual lifestyle", as well as positive portrayals of families comprising same-sex partners and adopted children. The video and interview resurfaced after his election in 2025 and raised concerns among LGBTQ+ Catholic associations.

State of the evidence

The 2012 remarks have been authenticated and their context documented.

Legal status — source text

No judicial proceedings; doctrinal and social controversy.

Attribution

Direct attribution: Prevost's personal remarks while serving as Prior General.

In an interview with Crux, Leo XIV described abuse as a "real crisis", called for compassion, justice and professional support for victims, but also emphasised the procedural rights of accused individuals and the existence of false allegations capable of destroying a life. He added that the Church could not reduce its entire mission to the issue of abuse.

State of the evidence

Leo XIV's direct remarks in his first major interview documented.

Legal status — source text

No proceedings; debate over policy for handling allegations.

Attribution

Direct attribution: personal statement.

Following an apostolic visitation of the Diocese of Tyler, a recommendation concluded that Joseph Strickland's continued tenure was not viable. Vatican News reported that, after months of examination by the Dicastery for Bishops and the Pope, Strickland was invited to resign; he refused, and Francis removed him from office. The removal of a bishop who had become a figurehead of the American Catholic right provoked strong polarisation.

State of the evidence

The Dicastery for Bishops' role in months of deliberations and Francis's final decision are officially documented.

Legal status — source text

Canonical/administrative decision by Pope Francis; no personal illegality by Prevost.

Attribution

High-level institutional responsibility as prefect of the Dicastery, but the final decision was made by Pope Francis.

Following the rape of a young girl that provoked widespread outrage in Peru and calls for tougher penalties, Prevost stated that the death penalty was unacceptable, even in such a tragic case, and expressed doubt about the deterrent effectiveness of chemical castration.

State of the evidence

Direct public statements and national context documented.

Legal status — source text

No proceedings; criminal justice policy controversy.

Attribution

Direct attribution: personal position taken by the Bishop of Chiclayo.

As Bishop of Chiclayo, Prevost stated that promoting "gender ideology" would create genders that "do not exist" and that such teaching could confuse children. In January 2017, he helped present the bishops' position calling for concepts regarded as part of this ideology to be removed from the new curriculum.

State of the evidence

Prevost's personal remarks and the collective position of the Peruvian bishops are documented.

Legal status — source text

No personal judicial proceedings; political and cultural dispute over curriculum content.

Attribution

Direct attribution for his statements; collective responsibility for the Bishops' Conference campaign.

While Prevost was provincial superior of the Augustinians, James M. Ray, a Chicago priest already subject to restrictions following allegations of abuse of minors, lived at St John Stone Friary from 2000 to 2002, immediately adjacent to a school. In 2025, Ray told the Chicago Sun-Times that Prevost had approved the arrangement. The case became one of the principal grievances raised against the future Pope in debate over the management of abusive clergy.

State of the evidence

James M. Ray's placement at St John Stone Friary and his previous restrictions are documented; the exact scope of Prevost's approval is disputed.

Legal status — source text

No personal criminal or canonical conviction of Robert Prevost was identified in this case.

Attribution

Direct institutional responsibility as provincial superior of the Chicago Augustinians; extent of personal decision-making disputed.