When the white smoke rose and Cardinal Robert Prevost was named the new pope—now officially Pope Leo XIV—it wasn’t just joy that swept across the Catholic world.
For some, like Eduardo Lopez de Casas, it was a mix of bitter irony and quiet vindication.
As a survivor of clergy abuse and vice president of SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), he believes this moment may finally turn more attention toward abuse that the Church has long tried to keep in the shadows.
“The Spotlight Is Now on Him”
Lopez de Casas, who’s spent years advocating for victims of abuse, told DailyMail.com that while his organization fought hard to prevent Prevost from becoming pope, he now sees the decision as a strange kind of opportunity.
“They picked someone who has a history of ignoring abuse allegations,” he said.
“That means the world will be watching him—and that’s good for survivors.”
He adds that the Church’s decision to elect an American cardinal with a controversial track record essentially guarantees public scrutiny: “You can’t cover up sexual abuse and be a good priest.
Staying silent is a sin. It’s not what Jesus would want.”
Allegations from Chicago to Peru
SNAP, along with other advocacy groups, had raised red flags about Prevost’s history well before the papal conclave.
Much of the concern centers on his handling of sexual abuse allegations both in the United States and abroad—particularly during his time as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru from 2014 to 2023.
One major case involved three sisters—Ana Maria Quispe and her younger siblings Juana Mercedes and Aura Teresa—who accused Father Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles of abuse dating back to 2007. Another priest was also implicated.
According to Catholic news outlet The Pillar, the Diocese under Prevost’s leadership allegedly downplayed the sisters’ documentation and withheld crucial details when reporting to the Vatican.
Despite meeting with the accusers in 2022, Prevost reportedly advised them to take their claims to civil authorities.
The church’s internal investigation, however, was shelved—citing expired statutes of limitations and a supposed lack of evidence.
The Problem Close to Home
Prevost’s critics also point to his time in Chicago, where he grew up, as another example of overlooking serious misconduct.
The Will County Gazette revealed that Prevost allowed Father James Ray, an Augustinian priest accused of abusing minors, to reside at the St. John Stone Friary in Hyde Park for years.
This was just half a block from an elementary school—and the school’s administrators were never notified.
Ray had already been removed from public ministry nine years earlier due to credible abuse allegations.
He was finally moved away from the area when new rules were enforced by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, demanding that accused clergy be kept far from children.
It wasn’t just Ray, either. Another accused priest, Father Richard McGrath, also lived under Prevost’s supervision.
McGrath, once principal of Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, faced disturbing allegations after a student reported seeing explicit images of boys on his phone.
Former student Robert Krankvich accused McGrath of molestation—abuse that led him into a lifetime of addiction before his death in April.
His father told the Chicago Sun-Times, “Money doesn’t bring happiness.
The $2 million settlement didn’t give him closure.”
SNAP’s Ongoing Fight
SNAP took action before the conclave, sending letters to the Vatican and urging cardinals not to vote for Prevost.
They cited both his handling of the Peru allegations and the Chicago cases.
Lopez de Casas noted that the group had placed Prevost high on their internal watchlist to prevent his elevation.
“We tried to warn them,” he said. “But here we are.”
Lopez de Casas himself carries a painful story.
He says he was first abused by teachers in his hometown of Galveston, Texas.
When his mother—who suspected something was wrong but didn’t speak fluent English—took him to a local priest for help, the priest instead abused him further.
Even though he spoke up as a child, he says nothing came of it.
No one advised his parents to go to the police.
Ties That Run Deep
Prevost’s ties to Chicago and its Catholic institutions remain strong.
He led the Midwest Augustinians from 1998 to 2014, during which time McGrath remained in his role at Providence Catholic High School for years before finally being removed in 2017.
The school still shares a close connection with Prevost.
Its current president, Father John Merkelis, went to seminary with him back in the 1970s and described him as “intelligent, sensitive, and pastoral.”
Merkelis celebrated the papal news with pride, calling it “excellent.”
Theresa Thormeyer, the administrative assistant in the dean’s office, echoed the sentiment, saying, “It’s so cool to see the kids so excited.”
A Legacy Under the Microscope
As Pope Leo XIV, Prevost now holds one of the most powerful roles in the Catholic Church—not only as spiritual leader, but also as head of the Dicastery for Bishops.
This position places him in charge of investigating how bishops around the world handle abuse cases.
Critics argue that this is especially troubling given his record.
Lopez de Casas, who spent nearly two decades working within the Galveston diocese, says the Church has made a mistake by choosing someone with such a track record.
But if there’s one silver lining for survivors, he says, it’s that “this pope will now have no place to hide.”