In a “jaw-dropping twist” that has stunned Catholics worldwide, newly appointed “Pope Leo XIV”—formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost—is facing “serious accusations” tied to the Catholic Church’s enduring sexual abuse scandal. And the source? A defrocked priest with a record as disturbing as it is long.
James M. Ray, a former priest listed among the Archdiocese of Chicago’s “credibly accused”, claims Pope Leo XIV personally authorized his move to a monastery in “Hyde Park”, Chicago—”just steps away from a Catholic elementary school and a childcare center”. This, despite the fact Ray had already been hit with molestation allegations involving minors.
Ray didn’t mince words when speaking to the “Chicago Sun-Times”: “He’s the one who gave me permission to stay there.” The “he” in question? The man now seated on the Throne of St. Peter.
At the time, Prevost led the “Midwest Province of the Augustinians”, and, according to Ray, had final say over the move. Paperwork allegedly backs up the claim. Yet the monastery where Ray stayed—St. John Stone Friary—was less than a block from “St. Thomas the Apostle Elementary School”, and, incredibly, neither the school nor the nearby childcare center was notified.
Though Ray is no stranger to serious allegations—molestation of at least “13 children”, inappropriate touching, and even an airport incident involving a paraplegic—the real bombshell is this: “Was Pope Leo XIV complicit in endangering children by approving his housing assignment?” Ray claims yes. Legal reps for the Augustinians say not so fast.
According to “Michael Airdo”, longtime lawyer for the order, the responsibility rested with the late “Rev. James Thompson”, who allegedly had “exclusive control” over friary admissions. But critics aren’t buying the scapegoating. The Archdiocese’s own paperwork wrongly claimed “there was no school in the immediate area,” a clerical oversight with potentially massive consequences.
Even more unsettling? This isn’t the first time Prevost has faced allegations of “inaction”. While overseeing the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, he was accused of “mishandling abuse allegations” against priests there as recently as 2022. Victims claimed their documentation was “intentionally downplayed”, their cases shelved due to statutes of limitations.
With Pope Leo XIV freshly installed, victims’ groups like “SNAP” (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) are demanding full accountability. They “warned” the Vatican’s College of Cardinals prior to Prevost’s election, yet here we are.
And while the new pontiff has publicly declared that “silence is not the solution” and called for “transparency and honesty,” critics are asking: “Where was that transparency when a known predator was housed near children under his watch?”
Ray, for his part, is trying to paint his history in pastel tones—minimizing his offenses, casting them as mere “back massages” or youthful missteps. But official records tell a far darker story: molestation, manipulation, and a trail of young victims left in the wake of institutional neglect.
Whether this will become a defining test for Pope Leo XIV’s reign—or just another chapter in the Church’s long, painful reckoning with abuse—remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear:
