MessainLatino has reported that Father Marko Ivan Rupnik has been acquitted in his canonical criminal trial. According to the pulication, after corroborating “persistent and highly authoritative sources”, it concluded that the verdict was in favour of Father Rupnik.
While the reported outcome has not been confirmed publicly by the Holy See, AdVaticanum has corroborated MessainLatino’s reporting through its own sources, which have also confirmed the ruling.
AdVaticanum has spoken to Vatican sources who would like the Holy See to publish the sentence publicly. Many, however, believe the Vatican will be reluctant to do so.
From this publication’s understanding, the trial centred on whether the alleged abuse involved violence. The judges ruled in favour of Father Rupnik, citing insufficient certainty. This publication has also learned that a further case is likely being prepared.
The sentence itself has not been released publicly, and no official statement has been issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The absence of any formal Vatican announcement has renewed questions about transparency in the handling of high-profile canonical cases. As this publication understands, the reported acquittal concerns only the specific canonical criminal proceedings relating to allegations involving violence. It does not necessarily bring every aspect of the wider Rupnik affair to a conclusion.
The formal judicial process has always been conducted under canon law rather than through the secular courts. Unlike civil criminal proceedings, canonical trials before the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith are confidential by their nature, with evidence, witness testimony and judicial deliberations ordinarily remaining sealed unless the Holy See decides otherwise. Consequently, little official information has emerged since the case was reopened.
Father Rupnik, born in Slovenia in 1954, rose to international prominence as both a theologian and an artist. His mosaics adorn churches, shrines and chapels across the Catholic world, including the Vatican, Lourdes and Fatima, while his theological reflections on sacred art earned him considerable influence in ecclesiastical circles.
The allegations that later emerged fundamentally altered that reputation. Multiple women accused Father Rupnik of sexual, psychological, spiritual and abuse-of-authority offences spanning several decades, with many of the earliest complaints originating from former members of the Loyola Community. Further accusations later involved women connected with Centro Aletti and his wider ministry.
Before the current proceedings, Father Rupnik had already faced another canonical process concerning the crime of absolving in confession a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity. That offence carries an automatic excommunication under canon law.
In 2020, the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that excommunication after external judges unanimously confirmed the offence. The penalty was subsequently lifted in the same month after Father Rupnik admitted the facts, expressed repentance and fulfilled the conditions required by the Holy See. Restrictions on his ministry followed.
Attention later shifted to the wider allegations relating to members of the Loyola Community. After further complaints reached both the Society of Jesus and the Vatican, an investigation was conducted and forwarded to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith with a recommendation that a penal process should begin. The dicastery ultimately concluded in 2022 that the alleged offences were barred by the applicable statute of limitations then in force under canon law.
That decision attracted widespread criticism after details of the allegations entered the public domain. In October 2023, Pope Francis waived the canonical statute of limitations, allowing the case to proceed despite the passage of time. The move was interpreted as a sign of the seriousness with which the Holy See intended to address the allegations and followed concerns expressed by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors regarding aspects of the case’s handling.
Meanwhile, Father Rupnik’s relationship with the Society of Jesus deteriorated. The Jesuits ultimately dismissed him, citing a persistent refusal to obey legitimate instructions. The order stated that he had declined opportunities to acknowledge his conduct publicly, seek forgiveness and undertake a process of rehabilitation. Father Rupnik was subsequently incardinated into the Diocese of Koper in his native Slovenia.
On 13 October 2025, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith disclosed that five judges had been appointed to hear the case, explaining that the panel consisted of women and clerics who neither belonged to the dicastery nor held office within the Roman Curia. The Holy See stated that the arrangement was intended to guarantee the tribunal’s autonomy and independence.
The Vatican did not publish the identities of the judges, nor did it provide details regarding their backgrounds or expertise. The confidentiality surrounding the process has led to criticism from some representing the alleged victims, who argue that they received little information regarding the tribunal’s progress despite repeated requests for clarification.
Those concerns persisted throughout the trial. Lawyer Laura Sgrò, who represents several of the women bringing allegations against Father Rupnik, repeatedly stated publicly that she had sought procedural information from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith but had received no substantive response.
The Society of Jesus has itself publicly acknowledged shortcomings in its handling of the affair. Father Johan Verschueren SJ, acting on behalf of the order in Rome, apologised to those who said they had suffered because of Father Rupnik’s actions and announced efforts aimed at reparation and healing. Jesuit Superior General Father Arturo Sosa later admitted that the order had failed to recognise warning signs and described that failure as a form of institutional blindness.
