(ZENIT News / Lublin, 06.12.2022).- Given its current interest, we publish the Statement of the Superior of Slovenia’s Jesuits, Father Miran Žvanut, about the “Mark Ivan Rupnik, S.J. case.”
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STATEMENT OF THE PROVINCIAL OF THE SLOVENIAN JESUITS ABOUT FATHER MARK IVAN RUPNIK
In recent days, we have seen articles about Father Mark Ivan Rupnik in various media. Unfortunately, as usual, they are quite inflated and include many falsehoods.
In 2021, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith received, in fact, a complaint against Father Mark Ivan Rupnik and requested the Society of Jesus to open a preliminary investigation on the case. It is a normal procedure. The complaint didn’t come from the nuns, as some media affirmed falsely.
The Society of Jesus appointed an external investigator (a Religious of another Order), to investigate and several people were called to give a statement. The Final Report was presented to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and, after examining the results of the investigation, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith concluded that the statute of limitation had lapsed in regard to the events in question, and, hence, filed the case at the beginning of October of this year.
However, in the framework of the preliminary investigation, cautionary measures were taken against Father Mark Ivan Rupnik; I repeat, cautionary measures, and no sanction or prohibition was imposed by the Vatican, as we have seen in the media. Cautionary measures are something normal when there are complaints of this or similar types against a Religious.
Hence, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has not adopted any sanction against Father Mark Ivan Rupnik; it only informed the Society of Jesus that the case was barred by the statute of limitations.
Father Rupnik has not lived in Slovenia for over 20 years, so that, as Provincial [I can say], he is not directly implicated in this investigation. The one responsible at present is the Delegate of the International Houses in Rome but, of course, he keeps me posted on what is happening and I suppose that if he has any new information he will let me know.
Allow me to stress that the Society of Jesus takes seriously any complaint against one of its members, and this complaint has also been taken very seriously. The mission of the Society of Jesus is also one of reconciliation and the search for truth, and I trust that the individuals to whom the handling of this case has been entrusted, will also reach the truth.
Translation of the Slovenian original by ZENIT’s translation area.
