FALSE. A Facebook post claims that recently elected Pope Leo XIV was “engulfed in child sex abuse hours after being elected.”
FACT. There are no credible reports or evidence of new abuse allegations against Pope Leo XIV. The viral claim distorts resurfaced concerns about his past administrative handling of abuse cases in the U.S. and Peru, which were known prior to his election.
While he has never been personally accused of sexual abuse, Pope Leo XIV faced scrutiny for decisions made as an Augustinian leader in Chicago and later as Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
These include permitting an accused priest to live near a school and alleged inaction on reported abuse cases.
Survivor advocacy groups have called for accountability, but no fresh complaints have been filed since his election.
The misleading post distorts old controversies to incite public outrage and damage the pope’s credibility.
By blurring the line between administrative missteps and personal abuse, it spreads disinformation and undermines trust in the new pontiff’s leadership.
