US EditionHow Pope Leo dealt with years of abuse allegations in a powerful Catholic society in Peru
- From 2015 onward, Robert Prevost, who later became Pope Leo, dealt with a significant abuse scandal involving a prominent Catholic organization in Peru known for its extensive influence and connections to the country's elite.
- The scandal emerged from complaints made as early as 2011 about abuses by SCV's founder Luis Fernando Figari, amid the group's deep ties to Peru's powerful elites and longstanding influence.
- A 2017 SCV-ordered probe revealed shocking abuses described in the book 'Half Monks, Half Soldiers' by Pedro Salinas and Paola Ugaz, which detailed allegations from 30 victims including beatings and sexual assaults.
- Prevost acted as a mediator between survivors and SCV, helping secure settlements and organizing a 2018 meeting prompting bishops to petition Pope Francis for investigation; later, Vatican investigators expelled 14 SCV members including Figari.
- Following these events, Archbishop Eguren resigned in 2024, Pope Francis suppressed SCV in early 2025, and Pope Leo, who succeeded Francis, has affirmed his commitment to ending the society amid some accusations of mishandling past cases.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Leo XIV. A Pope Who Didn't Believe He Could Be a Bishop
The family was Catholic and Robert Prevost decided to follow the ‘worship’ of the Agustinians. When he came to Peru as chief, he met with Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio many times and did not understand it. So he had told his neighbors that he would never come to the bishop. Now he wanted the Church to communicate better and fight for peace The content of Leo XIV. A pope who did not believe that he could be a bishop appeared first in Journal i.
Pope Leo XIV and the abuse crisis: What happens next? - Catholic Review
ROME (OSV News) — One issue any pope would have to face when elected to govern the Catholic Church in 2025 is that of continuing to address the clergy sexual abuse crisis. With Cardinal Seán O’Malley, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, among the first prelates that Pope Leo XIV received in audience as pope May 14, it’s fair to say that the sexual abuse crisis so far seems high on his priority list. In the first …
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