Weeks into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost) faces explosive allegations.
Defrocked priest James M. Ray claims Prevost—then head of the Midwest Augustinians—approved his stay at a Hyde Park monastery near an elementary school, despite knowing Ray had been accused of abusing at least 13 children.
Ray lived at St. John Stone Friary from 2000 to 2002, just steps from St. Thomas the Apostle Elementary School and a nearby daycare—neither of which were informed. Church records falsely stated no school was nearby.
Though the Archdiocese oversaw Ray, a complaint cites a 2000 memo suggesting Prevost knew of the housing arrangement and failed to warn the school. An Augustinian lawyer insists Prevost merely “accepted a guest,” with oversight left to the now-deceased Rev. James Thompson.
Ray, removed from ministry in 2002 and defrocked in 2012, downplays the allegations, saying: “It was a young man I gave back rubs to… I don’t know.”
Prevost has publicly championed transparency, saying in 2023, “Silence is not the solution… We must assist the victims.”
Though not accused of abuse himself, Prevost’s past decisions are under scrutiny. Ray, reacting to his election, quipped, “Why did it have to be an Augustinian?”—but admitted Prevost gives off “positive vibes.” He also hinted at others from that era still in the shadows.
As the Church seeks renewal, questions about its past continue to resurface.