The Catholic Jesuit order has been hit by a priest abuse scandal
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Vatican City (AFP) – The Catholic Jesuit order, of which Pope Francis is a member, has been rocked by claims that a prominent priest abused multiple women, and the case raises questions about how the Church punishes perpetrators.
Father Marko Rupnik, a 68-year-old Slovenian priest and world-renowned artist, is accused of abusing many women in the Ljubljana religious community in the early 1990s. According to media reports, it was sexual and psychological violence.
The case first appeared in the Italian media before the Jesuits – one of the main Roman Catholic orders founded in 1540 – revealed that they had sanctioned Rupnik and denied him the right to confession.
The Vatican’s dicastery (ministry) for religious instruction was involved in the case, but said it could not try Rupnik because the statute of limitations had expired.
The Jesuits later revealed that, in a separate case, Rupnik was also convicted of “absolving an accomplice… in a sin against the sixth commandment” – namely, absolving someone because he had sexual relations with him.
It is a serious ecclesiastical crime, for which Rupnik was automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church in May 2020. The excommunication was revoked by Vatican decree later that month.
“To be excommunicated, a person must acknowledge the fact and officially repent. And Rupnik did that,” Father Arturo Sosa, the Jesuit superior general, told reporters earlier this month.
When asked whether Pope Francis was consulted about Rupnik’s case, Sosa replied: “I don’t have a direct channel with the Pope.”
He added: “Before the decision, I can imagine that the Prefect of the Dicastery spoke to the Pope. That seems normal to me. But I cannot say yes or no.”
Concealment
Rupnik is also a famous mosaicist. His works adorn the chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican and the facade of the Basilica in Lourdes.
The case against him has shaken the Jesuit community at a time when the Catholic Church is still grappling with an outcry over clerical child sexual abuse — and the subsequent cover-up.
The Jesuits, who have 14,500 members worldwide, urged anyone else with a complaint to come forward and promised to listen “with understanding and empathy”.
Allegations of abuse of women from the Loyola community in Slovenia were first reported by the Vatican in 2021, and then passed on to the Jesuits.
An independent investigation concluded in January 2022 that “there is a case to answer” and recommended that the Vatican bring Rupnik to justice, according to a timeline released by the Jesuits.
In October 2022, the Vatican dropped the case because time had run out, but the Rome-based Jesuit order announced that sanctions imposed on Rupnik during the investigation were continuing.
Among them is the prohibition of confession and accompanying spiritual activities, as well as the prohibition of performing public activities without the permission of the local superior.
In a recent interview with the Italian newspaper Domani, the 58-year-old nun claimed that Rupnik forced her to have sex with him.
She believes that the priest was “protected” by the church hierarchy and claims that all her complaints since the 1990s have gone unanswered.
Last week, Slovenian bishops expressed their “horror” and “sadness” over the case and condemned what was happening.
“We deplore the failure of officials to take the necessary measures and the cover-up of acts of sexual and spiritual violence and abuse of power and authority,” they said.
The Vatican did not respond when contacted by AFP, and Rupnik’s request for comment went unanswered.
But behind the scenes, the case has raised questions about the Holy See’s ability to respond to allegations of abuse, particularly historical claims.
Meanwhile, Rupnik maintains an advisory role in several departments in the Roman Curia, the Vatican government.
© 2022 AFP