Activists call on Pope to expel abusers ahead of Latin America tour

Activists convened in Lima on Thursday to urge Pope Leo XIV to expel individuals involved in sexual abuse from the Catholic Church, seeking justice amid an ongoing scandal, prior to his upcoming Latin America pilgrimage. The US-based organization Bishop Accountability convened a press conference on Thursday to unveil a roster of 77 clergy members who have faced public accusations of sexually abusing minors in Peru.

On Friday, the 71-year-old bishop embarks on a tour of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, his homeland where he dwelled for nearly two decades as a missionary, parish priest, and bishop. The Vatican has disclosed that Leo will engage with abuse survivors during the journey, although it has not detailed the specifics of these plans. To effectively address this distressing predicament, the pontiff must enact a policy of "zero tolerance" for those found culpable of sexual abuse, according to Anne Barrett Doyle, the co-director of Bishop Accountability.

She further emphasized that the Church should permanently banish not only those who perpetrated the abuse but also those who facilitated it. José Escardo, president of the Survivors Network of Abuse in Peru, echoed the call, stressing that such a policy is imperative. These individuals must be handed over to the civil justice system and held accountable not only by the Church.

Among the alleged abusers listed by Bishop Accountability are high-ranking Church officials, including conservative cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani.