Prominent Priest Rupnik Expelled by Jesuits Following Allegations of Abuse against Adult Women

The Jesuit religious order, led by Pope Francis, announced on Thursday the expulsion of Reverend Marko Ivan Rupnik, a prominent Slovenian priest, due to allegations of sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuses against adult women. The Jesuits released a statement obtained by The Big Big News, stating that Rupnik was dismissed from the order on June 9 for his persistent refusal to adhere to the vow of obedience.

Reverend Marko Ivan Rupnik is renowned in the Catholic Church as a celebrated religious artist, known for his mosaic artwork adorning churches and basilicas worldwide, including at the Vatican.

Late last year, the Jesuits acknowledged multiple accusations made by women, spanning over a 30-year period, regarding sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuses by Rupnik. However, he had largely evaded punishment, possibly due to his elevated status within the church and at the Vatican, where questions were raised even about Pope Francis’ involvement in the case.

The Jesuit statement mentioned that Rupnik has a 30-day window to appeal the expulsion order. Although he remains a priest, he will no longer hold the status of a Jesuit priest.

The Rupnik scandal gained significant attention in December when Italian blogs and websites reported that consecrated women had been lodging complaints of abuse for years, only to have their claims discredited or covered up by Rupnik’s superiors. The case presented a challenge for the Vatican and the Jesuits, as suspicions arose regarding preferential treatment given to the charismatic priest by the Holy See, which is headed by a Jesuit pope and houses Jesuit priests in prominent positions within the sex abuse office.

Following the eruption of these allegations, the Jesuits reluctantly admitted that Rupnik had been excommunicated in 2020 for committing one of the gravest crimes in church law: using the confessional to absolve a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity. However, Rupnik expressed repentance, leading to a swift removal of the sanction.

The subsequent year, nine women accused Rupnik of sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse during the 1990s at a community he co-founded in Slovenia. Although the Jesuits recommended a church trial, the Vatican’s sex abuse office declined to waive the statute of limitations, deeming the crimes too old to prosecute.

This outcome highlighted the routine tendency of the Catholic hierarchy to disregard spiritual and sexual abuse of adult women as punishable crimes, categorizing them instead as mere breaches of priestly chastity that can be forgiven, without fully considering the trauma experienced by the victims.

After the scandal, the Jesuits encouraged anyone with additional claims against Rupnik to come forward, resulting in 15 people stepping forward. The Jesuits subsequently requested Rupnik’s response, which he refused to provide, as stated in Thursday’s announcement.

“Consequently, we compelled Father Marko Rupnik to relocate and undertake a new mission, offering him a final opportunity as a Jesuit to come to terms with his past and to send a clear message to the numerous aggrieved individuals who testified against him, encouraging them to embark on a path of truth,” the statement explained. “Faced with Marko Rupnik’s persistent refusal to comply with this directive, we were regrettably left with only one recourse: his resignation from the Society of Jesus.”

Pope Francis’ involvement in the Rupnik case also raised questions, considering the remarkably swift reversal of his excommunication and the Vatican’s refusal to waive the statute of limitations for the subsequent allegations. In a January 24 interview with The Big Big News, Pope Francis denied any role in the handling of Rupnik’s case

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• The Big Big News – Source of the statement from the Jesuits regarding the expulsion of Father Rupnik.
• Vatican News – Provides information on Pope Francis’ role in the Rupnik case and his denial of involvement.
• Catholic News Agency – Covers the background and details of the allegations against Father Rupnik and the handling of the case by the Jesuits and the Vatican.