Pope Leo lauds journalism in comments about Catholic church abuse

Pope Leo XIV defended press freedom and urged journalists not to tolerate any abuse in the Catholic Church on Saturday.

“Wherever a journalist is silenced, the democratic soul of a nation is weakened,” wrote the Pope.

His remarks were read at the theatrical performance of Proyecto Ugaz. This play depicts the life of Paola Ugaz, a prominent journalist famous for her coverage of Sodalitium Cristianae Vitae, or Sodalitium of Christian Life.

Her reporting uncovered that a group of Catholic Peruvian elites were accused of sexual and physical abuse for years. This led to an intervention by local law enforcement and a Vatican investigation which disbanded the group.

After Ugaz and co-author Pedro Salinas published the testimonies of the victims in 2015, Ugaz faced heavy legal and online harassment. She demanded protection for herself and three other journalists to Pope Francis, who received them personally in December 2015.

Leo spent 20 years as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru, and working side by side with Pope Francis, helped suppress the group.

He called for the creation of a culture of prevention within the church to root out any kind of sexual, physical and spiritual abuse. In order to implement this approach, he stressed the need to listen to the victims and the need for journalists to uncover the truth.

Leo's remarks read, “The victims of the former spiritual family of the Sodalitium, along with the journalists who supported them with courage, patience, and commitment to the truth, reflect the wounded yet hopeful face of the Church."

“Your fight for justice is also the Church’s fight. A faith that does not touch the wounds of the human body and soul has not yet understood the Gospel,” he added.

He also stressed the importance of independent journalism for society.

“In this time of deep institutional and social tensions, defending free and ethical journalism is not only an act of justice, but a duty for all who aspire to a strong and participatory democracy,” he wrote.

Sexual abuse continues to plague the Catholic Church. Although Pope Francis began to take away the taboo of abuse within church walls, victims are seeking more recognition and action from Pope Leo such as a zero-tolerance policy.

Leo has already made the free press a cause for which he is willing to fight.

On May 12, Pope Leo called for the release of unlawfully detained journalists all over the world and defended the importance of free speech and press.