The Vatican stated on Wednesday that a church trial against Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik, a former Jesuit priest and renowned artist, continues despite reports suggesting the case had concluded with an acquittal. Vatican officials characterized the reported verdict as unfounded and said judges were still reviewing documentation from multiple parties involved in the case.
Rupnik, a Slovenian whose mosaic designs adorn Vatican chapels and churches worldwide, has faced accusations of spiritual, sexual, and psychological abuse spanning from the 1990s onward. These allegations became public in late 2022 through Italian media reports, though the Vatican hierarchy had previously dismissed similar claims over decades. The Jesuits confirmed that Rupnik was briefly excommunicated in 2020 after using the confessional to absolve a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual relations. He was subsequently expelled from the Jesuit order in 2023. Rupnik remains a priest, and supporters including the director of his Rome-based Aletti Center have characterized the accusations as false and damaging.
A lawyer representing five accusers criticized the Vatican’s canonical trial process, stating that victims had received no information about the investigation’s status despite two years of requests. The attorney noted that her clients had not been interviewed by the tribunal. In response, the Vatican press office stated that no information could be disclosed to protect the integrity of proceedings and prevent harm to those involved.
The case has highlighted tensions within the Vatican’s internal judicial system, where canonical trials operate under distinct rules from civil or criminal proceedings. Under canon law, abuse victims function as third-party witnesses without access to case files, investigation status, or participation rights in proceedings. Recent Vatican reforms allow victims to learn only the final outcome of their cases. International commissions have repeatedly criticized these procedures for potentially retraumatizing survivors through opacity and limited protections, noting that canon law was originally designed to address institutional concerns rather than victim support or healing.
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