In a significant move, the Vatican announced on Monday the appointment of a panel of judges to adjudicate the case of former Jesuit artist Marko Ivan Rupnik, who stands accused of sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse of women. This decision marks a pivotal moment in a scandal that has cast a shadow over Pope Francis’s legacy, amid allegations that the Vatican’s handling of the case lacked transparency and independence. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, responsible for overseeing clergy abuse cases, revealed that the five-member judicial panel includes both women and priests external to the Vatican bureaucracy, emphasizing the need for autonomy and impartiality in the proceedings. This development follows years of controversy surrounding Rupnik, whose mosaics adorn some of the Catholic Church’s most revered sites worldwide. The scandal first came to light in late 2022 when Italian blogs published allegations from nuns and adult women who claimed to have been abused by Rupnik during his artistic endeavors. Despite initial reluctance to prosecute due to the age of the claims, the Vatican eventually waived the statute of limitations under public pressure, paving the way for a canonical trial. Rupnik, who was briefly excommunicated in 2020 for exploiting the confessional, has consistently denied the allegations and refused to cooperate with Jesuit authorities. His supporters have decried the media coverage as a ‘lynching,’ while the Vatican’s latest action signals a renewed commitment to addressing the case with due process.
Trial against famous ex-Jesuit artist, accused of abusing women, to start with judges named
