Pope Leo XIV Meets Opus Dei Critic on Abuse Allegations

Pope Leo XIV met privately on March 16, 2026, with British financial journalist Gareth Gore, whose 2024 book accuses the Catholic organization Opus Dei of exploitation, human trafficking, and financial misconduct. The audience, held in the Apostolic Palace library, came amid ongoing Vatican reforms to Opus Dei's governance and highlighted the pope's focus on addressing abuse allegations within the Church.

Gore, author of "Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church," said he spent over 40 minutes briefing the pope on claims detailed in the book. These include allegations that Opus Dei recruits children as young as 10 without parental consent, that some member priests have violated the seal of confession, and that the group has trafficked young women from Latin America into unpaid domestic labor. Gore provided supporting documents and victim testimonies, urging the pope to initiate a formal, independent investigation into the organization. He recounted that Pope Leo described the book as "a rigorous piece of work." The meeting was arranged through Pedro Salinas, a Peruvian journalist and former member of the suppressed...