Pope Leo slammed as convicted priest quietly returns to work at the Vatican

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.

He may have only been in the role for three months, but the new pope has already found himself facing backlash from a horde of people this week.

Since his inauguration, Pope Leo XIV - who was elected back in May following the death of Pope Francis - has remained silent on his predecessor's decision to allow a Catholic priest who was previously convicted of a number of crimes to return to work.

Reverend Carlo Alberto Capella was found guilty by a Vatican tribunal in 2018 following his arrest in Canada two years earlier. Authorities had discovered that the priest had both possessed and shared a 'large quantity' of child pornography while working as a diplomat at the Holy See’s embassy in Washington D.C.

After being called to Rome, the 58-year-old Italian served a prison sentence in the three-cell Vatican jail, with his religious role securing his immunity from prosecution in the United States.

Capella returned to work in 2022 (NTN24)

This occurred despite the State Department's ceaseless requests to waive this.

In recent weeks, however, reports on Catholic blogs documenting his 2022 release from jail have begun shedding light on his quiet comeback to work at the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, as per Washington Post.

Naturally, advocates for the survivors of abuse by Catholic priests have been left outraged by this move, many of whom have argued that, though Capella was never accused of actual sexual abuse, he served time behind bars for having 'repugnant' images in his possession.

Among these critics is Peter Isely, a member of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP).

"Why not give him a job scrubbing floors, or bathrooms, at the Vatican," he hit out recently. "Why is he still an official member of the state department? It’s wrong on every level."

As such, the new Pontiff Pope Leo XIV has been faced with demands to act on the criticism, having allowed Capella to continue working since setting up shop in the Vatican earlier this year.

Pope Leo is facing calls to act (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

He isn't the first pope to endure the pressure of handling sex crime cases, with Pope John Paul II also being subjected to both contemporary and posthumous criticism for his handling of abuse several years earlier.

Sexual abuse within the Catholic church is also considered one of the many factors that pushed Pope Benedict XVI to retire from the role - which was seen as quite the controversial call at the time.

Despite Pope Leo XIV's predecessor, Pope Francis, having enacted reforms aimed at addressing the scandals, Capella was permitted to return to work under his rule.

"These are certainly decisions made logically, rationally, by the pontiff at the time," Capella’s attorney, Roberto Borgogno said in an interview in 2023, claiming it was down to his client's 'good behaviour'.

The solicitor added of the Italian priest: "It’s merely a desk job. He won’t be carrying out pastoral work; he won’t be in contact with people on the outside."

Pope Francis allowed Capella's return to work (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Despite these claims, there is pressure on the new pope to have this decision reversed.

Anne Barrett Doyle - who works as co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a watchdog group that tracks Catholic church abuse cases - has elaborated on the expectations placed onto Pope Leo XIV.

"This is a test," she explained. "To me, it brings up bigger questions of the Vatican’s continued rejection of zero tolerance for sex offenders.

"I think these two things together really put all eyes on Pope Leo."

Doyle continued: "We’re all wondering if he will be tougher on sex abusers than Pope Francis was."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.