(ZENIT News / Rome, 03.30.2025).- The Society of Jesus has reached out directly to women who have accused Slovenian artist and former Jesuit priest Marko Rupnik of sexual and psychological abuse. In letters sent on March 25 to approximately 20 women, the order expressed its recognition of past failures, stating that it was “uncomfortable” with the situation and acknowledged the pain caused not only by the alleged abuse but also by years of silence and inaction.
The letters, signed by Father Johan Verschueren, a senior Jesuit official, propose a process of healing and reconciliation, emphasizing that such a journey requires truth and accountability on the part of the order itself. The move signals a rare admission of responsibility in a case that has shaken the Catholic Church, given Rupnik’s prominence as a world-renowned artist whose mosaics adorn sacred sites from the Vatican to Fatima and Lourdes.
For years, women who reported Rupnik’s misconduct faced institutional roadblocks, with allegations dismissed or left unaddressed. The accusations date back to the 1980s, with victims alleging that Rupnik manipulated them into sexual acts under spiritual pretexts, even coercing them into sexual relationships with other women in what he described as an imitation of the Holy Trinity.
While the criminal statute of limitations had long expired, Pope Francis intervened in 2023, lifting time restrictions for Vatican investigations into abuse cases. Yet, despite his expulsion from the Jesuit order last year, Rupnik remains a priest, with little public information available about any ongoing canonical trial.
Attorney Laura Sgrò, who represents several of the victims, released excerpts of the letters to the press on March 26. In a statement, the victims welcomed the Jesuits’ response, calling it a “clear, strong, and concrete gesture” that brings hope to all survivors of abuse within the Church. However, they also urged the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to follow suit and expedite canonical proceedings against Rupnik, emphasizing that justice remains incomplete as long as he faces no formal consequences.
The Jesuit letter invited each victim to express their personal needs and the kind of support they require, stating that any form of reparation would be tailored to the individual. However, the order also maintained that, to protect victims’ privacy, it would not publicly disclose details of these dialogues.
“We wrote these letters because we, too, need healing,” the Jesuits admitted, adding that they still have much to learn from survivors to prevent future abuses within the order.
Even as the Jesuits seek reconciliation, fresh allegations against Rupnik continue to emerge. An Italian investigative television program, «Le Iene», aired the testimony of a woman identified as Klara, who alleged that Rupnik began abusing her in 1980 when she was just 16. At the time, he was a Jesuit priest in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and she was a young recruit in the Loyola Community, a religious group he co-founded.
Klara’s testimony, given with her voice altered and only her mouth visible on screen, described how Rupnik’s control escalated over time. What began as an intense embrace and a forced kiss during a spiritual retreat, she said, turned into repeated sexual abuse. “At least 10 women I know experienced similar things,” she stated, emphasizing that abuse was systematic within the community.
Despite years of complaints, Klara accused Church authorities of inaction. “They did nothing. They only covered it up,” she said.
In December 2023, the Vatican finally dissolved the Loyola Community, citing “serious problems” in its governance, but questions remain over why it took so long for action to be taken.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, Rupnik has not been defrocked and currently resides in a convent of the Benedictine Sisters of Priscilla near Rieti, Italy, where he is accompanied by members of his former community. The Jesuit order previously offered him the opportunity to repent, seek forgiveness, and undergo therapy, but according to their letter, he “stubbornly refused.” His dismissal from the order was the result of that refusal rather than the abuse allegations alone.
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