The Catholic Church's newly-elected Pope Leo XIV faces serious accusations just days after his historic selection as the first North American pontiff. 

Robert Prevost, who ascended to the papacy on Thursday, stands accused of repeatedly ignoring child sex abuse allegations against priests under his supervision in both Chicago and South America.

Survivors' advocacy groups claim they explicitly warned the 135 cardinals who selected Prevost about his troubling history of alleged inaction regarding abuse cases. 

Despite these warnings, the College of Cardinals proceeded with his election.

"Staying silent is a sin. It's not what God wants us to do. Jesus wants us to stop these things, not make a healthy garden for sexual abuse to grow," stated Lopez de Casas, national vice president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), in comments to the Daily Mail.

De Casas, himself a victim of clergy abuse, expressed dismay at Prevost's selection. 

"He was high on our watchlist at SNAP to make sure he was not selected for pope. But now, here we are," he said.

Among the most concerning allegations involves Prevost's time in Chicago, where he permitted Father James Ray to live at St. John Stone Friary in Hyde Park despite Ray's removal from public ministry nine years earlier due to accusations of sexually abusing minors.

Ray remained near the school for two years until the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops implemented new rules requiring priests accused of abusing minors to be kept physically distant from children.

Another disgraced priest, Father Richard McGrath, also lived at the friary during Prevost's oversight. 

McGrath had been removed as principal and president of Providence Catholic High School in the Chicago suburb of New Lenox after a student reported seeing nude images of boys on his phone.

Former Providence student Robert Krankvich accused McGrath of forcing him to perform various sex acts while he was a child. 

After struggling with addiction throughout adulthood, Krankvich reached a $2 million settlement with the Catholic church before dying from addiction-related health issues in April.

"Money doesn't bring happiness… it gave him no closure," Krankvich's father said, as outlined by the Daily Mail.