Rupnik: Rome denies the acquittal, the canonical procedure remains

Context

The Rupnik case, named after the Slovenian ex-Jesuit priest and renowned mosaicist (Lourdes, Fatima, Aparecida), is one of the heaviest abuse cases for Rome since 2022. Father Marko Rupnik is accused by at least twenty women, including several consecrated women, of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse spanning several decades. Dismissed from the Society of Jesus in June 2023, he was subsequently incardinated in the Slovenian diocese of Koper. The case has been the subject, since the end of 2023, of a canonical investigation conducted by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, after the statute of limitations was lifted by Pope Francis. We are opening here the follow-up thread of this case.

The Facts

On this 22nd of July 2026, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, published a categorical statement after the circulation of rumors suggesting that Marko Rupnik had been acquitted by the canonical court. According to Vatican News (FR and PT), La Croix, LifeSiteNews, and the CNA agency, these pieces of information are qualified as "absolutely unfounded". The canonical investigation remains open, the evaluation is still ongoing, and no final decision has been notified. The statement insists: the Press Office will make any conclusion public in due time.

Doctrinal Analysis

The Roman declaration refers to essential requirements of canon law. Canon 1341 of the CIC 1983 establishes the principle of subsidiarity of the penal path: the Ordinary only engages a judicial or administrative procedure if the means of pastoral care (fraternal correction, reprimand) are no longer sufficient to repair the scandal, restore justice, and bring about the amendment of the guilty party. Canon 1720 imposes on the judge, for the extra-judicial penal decree, moral certainty about the materiality of the offense. The motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi of Francis (7 May 2019, extended and strengthened on 25 March 2023) maintains that the protection of victims commands procedural clarity. The Catechism at number 2477 also recalls the duty of truth which prohibits any attack on reputation based on unverified information, but never exempts the Church from its responsibility towards the wounded.

Stakes for the Church and the Faithful

The Roman denial protects two requirements in tension: the presumption of innocence as long as no verdict is rendered, and the credibility of the victims whose word cannot be suspended to leaks. For the faithful, the issue is also one of confidence in an ecclesiastical justice perceived as slow. The DDF's investigation, ongoing since the end of 2023, is working on a voluminous file; any conclusion must be public and motivated.

Critical Reading and Blind Spots

The rumor of acquittal, if unfounded, reveals a worrying porosity between Roman circles and the press. It puts the communicational credibility of the dicastery to the test. A blind spot remains: the conservative measures requested by several bishops (effective withdrawal of the litigious mosaics from sanctuaries) have still not received an overall response from Rome.

To Reflect and Act

Pray for the victims and for the truth. Support concretely the associations accompanying abused persons in the Church.