Pope Leo XIV says there should be no tolerance for abuse in Catholic church

Pope Leo XIV says there should be no tolerance for abuse in Catholic church

Pope Leo XIV has referred to as for a cultural shift in the Catholic Church that refuses to tolerate abuse “in any form,” as he publicly praised a Peruvian journalist for her paintings exposing abuse within a powerful Catholic agency.

In his first public statement on clerical abuse for the reason that becoming pope on may additionally 8, Leo counseled investigative journalist Paola Ugaz, who has faced criminal threats and dying threats for her reporting at the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), a outstanding Catholic organization with deep ties to Peru’s elite.

“it is pressing to ingrain for the duration of the Church a way of life of prevention that does not tolerate any shape of abuse—neither of energy or authority, nor of conscience or spirituality, nor sexual,” Leo wrote. “This tradition will only be true if it’s miles born of lively vigilance, transparent procedures, and sincere listening to those who have been harm.”

He emphasized the imperative position of journalism in cultivating that culture, describing Ugaz and different Peruvian journalists as courageous and committed to the fact in their investigations into the SCV, which has in view that been dissolved.

Pope Leo, who formerly served as a missionary and bishop in Peru, had firsthand know-how of the SCV abuse cases and performed a key function in making sure movement used to be taken in opposition to the group. numerous survivors credited his involvement with moving investigations ahead.

In his message, Leo pressured the want for the Church to walk “a concrete route of humility, reality, and reparation,” echoing Pope Francis’ 2018 pledge to shield minors and inclined adults. He insisted that addressing abuse must move beyond policy—it ought to replicate a true inner transformation.

The pope’s help for reporters marks a shift in tone, as a few church leaders have previously criticized media coverage of abuse scandals. Leo, but, praised individuals who exposed the SCV’s wrongdoing for his or her “courage, endurance, and constancy to the fact,” regardless of facing “unjust attacks.”

His message was read on June 20 throughout a overall performance in Lima of Proyecto Ugaz, a play depicting Ugaz’s years-lengthy investigation into the SCV. The reading used to be delivered with the aid of Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, a Vatican investigator, with Ugaz gift on degree.

Leo emphasized that journalism is critical in ensuring the Church is a place “where no person suffers in silence” and wherein “truth isn’t always visible as a threat, but as a path to liberation.”

He also addressed broader press freedom issues, in particular in Peru, where reporters have faced rising intimidation because the elimination of President Pedro Castillo in 2022.

“on this time of profound institutional and social tensions, defending loose and moral journalism is not only an act of justice, however a responsibility of all people who yearn for a stable and participatory democracy,” the pope said. “wherever a journalist is silenced, the democratic soul of a country is weakened.”

quickly after his election, Leo met with media representatives inside the Vatican, wherein he reiterated his help for a unfastened press and called for the release of imprisoned reporters. Ugaz, who attended the meeting, greeted him with a smile, imparting him a container of sweets and a Peruvian headscarf.

Reflecting on that come across, Pope Leo described journalism as a “sacred project,” calling newshounds “bridges among the statistics and the conscience of the human beings.”