By Salvatore Cernuzio
In a message against all forms of abuse, Pope Leo XIV has called for a cultural transformation within the Catholic Church.
“[It is necessary to] radicate throughout the Church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse: abuse of power or authority, of conscience or spirituality, of sexual abuse”, he writes.
His words were read at the performance of the theatrical production Proyecto Ugaz, currently running in Lima, Peru.
The play honours investigative journalist Paola Ugaz, known for her reporting on the now-suppressed Sodalitium, and who has faced sustained harassment for her work.
Drawing on Ugaz’s example, the Pope issued a firm defence of press freedom: “Wherever a journalist is silenced, the democratic soul of a nation is weakened.”
The Pope’s message centres on two key themes that underlie the theatrical production: the fight against abuse and the essential role of truthful, independent journalism. Proyecto Ugaz highlights Ugaz’s years-long investigation into the Sodalitium Cristianae Vitae, a powerful lay movement in Latin America that Pope Francis formally suppressed on April 14 due to multiple allegations of abuse and corruption, including against its founder, Luis Figari. A Vatican investigation concluded the group lacked any foundational charism.
Paola Ugaz, together with journalist Pedro Salinas, co-authored a 2015 book exposing testimony from victims of the Sodalitium.
Their work spurred investigations by Peruvian authorities and eventually led to Vatican intervention. However, Ugaz has since faced legal harassment and online attacks. In November 2022, she sought protection for herself and three other journalists from Pope Francis, who received them personally in December of that year and expressed his support.
Now, under Pope Leo XIV, that support continues and deepens.
The Pope, well-informed about the Sodalitium case and Ugaz’s role, publicly embraced her during a May meeting with journalists who covered the conclave.
The Pope begins his message with three expressions of gratitude:
To the creators of Proyecto Ugaz, calling the production “not just theatre, but memory, protest, and above all, an act of justice,” giving voice to “a long-silenced pain.”
“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 writes.
Pope Leo emphasises that true ecclesial reform is not rhetoric but a concrete path of humility, truth, and reparation: “Prevention and care are not just pastoral strategies—they are the heart of the Gospel.”
To Paola Ugaz herself, for her bravery in approaching Pope Francis on November 10, 2022, and speaking up for herself and fellow journalists Pedro Salinas, Daniel Yovera, and Patricia Lachira, who exposed abuses by a religious group operating in multiple countries but originating in Peru.
The Pope also acknowledges the broader harm caused by the Sodalitium, including financial abuses affecting entire communities such as those in Catacaos and Castilla.
SOURCE: VATICAN NEWS
