In a powerful address in Lima, Pope Leo XIV condemned all forms of Church abuse and praised the investigative work of journalist Paola Ugaz, whose reporting helped expose the widespread scandal within the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae movement.
At a Glance
- Pope Leo XIV spoke in Lima at a theater premiere inspired by Ugaz’s work
- He praised journalists for their role in uncovering abuse and called for transparent procedures
- The Vatican dissolved the Sodalitium in April 2025 after finding extensive abuse
- The movement’s founder, Luis Fernando Figari, had previously been expelled
- Critics still question Leo XIV’s own past handling of some Peruvian abuse cases
The Pope’s Statement
According to AP News, Leo XIV stressed that preventing abuse requires “active vigilance,” transparency, and a willingness to listen to survivors. He praised Ugaz’s journalism as a vital force in exposing wrongdoing, after she endured harassment and legal threats for her reporting.
The Sodalitium Scandal
The Sodalitium, founded in 1971, was formally dissolved in April 2025 following extensive revelations of sexual, spiritual, and financial abuses. Its founder, Luis Fernando Figari, had already been expelled with Vatican approval after a multi-year investigation, as Crux reported.
The Pope’s Peruvian Past
Before ascending to the papacy, Leo XIV—then Bishop Robert Prevost—served in Peru. Survivors credit him with taking early allegations against the Sodalitium seriously and initiating a 2022 Vatican-led inquiry that led to its suppression, as La Croix International reported.
Yet some critics argue his record is mixed: in 2022, as bishop in Chiclayo, Prevost allegedly mishandled a separate clergy-abuse case involving diocesan priests. As The Pillar notes, this unresolved controversy clouds what many see as a promising reform agenda.
Why It Matters
The Pope’s call for transparency and recognition of investigative journalists like Ugaz is a notable step forward. But as NCR points out, his broader credibility will hinge on confronting uncomfortable truths about Church complicity—including his own past decisions.
With clergy-abuse scandals still rocking the global Church, Leo XIV’s leadership in the coming months will test whether this new papacy can move beyond rhetoric to deliver the structural accountability survivors demand.
