DDF head on Rupnik: ‘Other cases…are worse’
“I think of many other cases, including others that are worse but less publicized."
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said this week that there are “worse but less publicized” abuse cases than that of disgraced former Jesuit Fr. Marko Rupnik.
Asked about the timeline of the investigation into Rupnik, reopened by Pope Francis in 2023, Fernández responded that the dicastery he heads has finished “gathering information” about the case and is now working to create a tribunal.
The cardinal’s comments came in a Jan. 23 interview with the weekly magazine of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa y Omega.
The interview discussed the DDF’s intention to typify the canonical crime of “spiritual abuse” because, as Cardinal Fernández explained, “many dicasteries continuously received complaints on situations in which spiritual elements were used as an excuse or motivation to have sexual relations (by a priest with a catechist, for example).
In these cases, there is a manipulation of people who confide in a spiritual guide and, at the same time, a manipulation of the spiritual beauty of our faith to receive sex.”
Fernández was asked if there was an urgency to resolve the Rupnik case, which has been criticized for its lengthy delay. He replied, “I think of many other cases, including others that are worse but less publicized. We cannot think of a new law for just one case, because that would limit the vision and harm the work's objectivity.”
“With regards to the Rupnik case, the dicastery finished the stage of gathering information, which was in very different places, and conducted a first analysis. Now, we are working to constitute an independent tribunal that goes to the last stage through a penal judicial procedure,” he added.
Rupnik is a former Jesuit from Slovenia, known around the world for his artistic work — he had installed mosaics in dozens of high-profile chapels in Europe - including one in the Vatican - Latin America, and the United States.
Rupnik has been accused of sexually abusing some 30 religious sisters. Some of the allegations involve claims of blasphemous acts of sexual abuse directly in the context of designing and creating his works of art. Rupnik was previously convicted by the DDF of sexual crimes related to the sacrament of penance and was briefly excommunicated.
The Society of Jesus has already, according to its superiors, conducted a lengthy investigation into Rupnik’s alleged abuse and found a “high degree” of evidence against him. Instead of pursuing the priest’s laicization, the Jesuits opted to expel him from the order in 2023 for “disobedience.”
After being expelled from the Society of Jesus, Rupnik was incardinated by his home bishop in the Slovenian Diocese of Koper, where “as long as Rev. Rupnik has not been found guilty in a public trial in court, he enjoys all the rights and duties of diocesan priests,” according to the diocese.
The Vatican has been repeatedly criticized for its apparent passivity in dealing with the case.
In 2020, Rupnik preached a Lenten meditation for priests working in the Vatican. He met with Pope Francis in January 2022, and received an honorary doctorate from a Catholic university in Brazil.
The pope originally refused to lift the statute of limitations for a canonical trial when new allegations surfaced in 2022. The statute of limitations was lifted the following year only after the public outcry over Rupnik’s incardination in Slovenia.
Meanwhile, the Vatican communications prefect, Paolo Rufini, has said his dicastery will not stop using Rupnik’s art in Vatican communications, saying this is “not the Christian response” to the allegations against the priest. A video published on Wednesday by Vatican media showed Pope Francis speaking with the Catholic community in Gaza in his room, with Rupnik’s artwork hanging on a wall.
In the interview this week, Fernández acknowledged that he is aware of the details of the Rupnik case and also the discussions on the typification of the crime of “spiritual abuse.”
However, in a widely circulated letter before the cardinal’s appointment, Pope Francis had told Fernández that “given that for disciplinary matters - especially related to the abuse of minors - a specific Section has recently been created with very competent professionals, I ask you as prefect to dedicate your personal commitment more directly to the main purpose of the Dicastery which is ‘keeping the faith’.”
Observers at the time believed that this had to do mostly with Fernández's own controversial record of handling abuse cases in his native Argentina.
Fernández himself said in a July 2023 interview that “the first time [Pope Francis] offered me this position, I answered no, first of all, because I did not consider myself suitable to lead the work in the disciplinary area.”
On the day Fernández took office, Pope Francis also granted a special dispensation from the DDF’s governing regulations, exempting the cardinal prefect from the responsibility of chairing or attending regular departmental meetings to decide canonical cases of sexual abuse handled by the dicastery.
It is unclear whether Fernández has since received different instructions from the pope and is now leading discussions on the disciplinary section of the dicastery or if he sees his role as a support to the members of the disciplinary section without interference, as he has previously described his role.
On Jan. 24, Cardinal Fernandez contacted The Pillar to note that in line with his mandate from Pope Francis “I preside over all meetings on disciplinary matters except those of art. 6 of SST (abuse of minors ).”
“Among other topics, the Disciplinary Section deals with issues related to schisms, sins against the Eucharist, solicitation in confession, absolution of the accomplice, etc.” the cardinal said. “I preside over all these discussions except those of art. 6 (abuse of minors), which are the majority of cases. Only in this case (art. 6) does the Secretary of the Disciplinary Section preside.”
“Of course, even general issues, such as the classification of new offences, if they do not specifically concern minors, remain within the competence of the Prefect. Only Article 6 was excluded.”
“In fact,” Fernandez told The Pillar, “I always chair the meetings of the Disciplinary Section when cases under Article 6 are not being dealt with. And the truth is that the work of the Dicastery is so great that there would not be enough time for me to also analyse these cases and arrange for their resolution.”
As recently as October 2024, Fernández’s relationship with the disciplinary functions of his department came under renewed scrutiny, when the DDF upheld the laicization of Argentinian priest Ariel Príncipi, after the pope’s chief of staff attempted to reverse it extralegally. Príncipi was a former seminary classmate of Cardinal Fernández.
The document was signed by Archbishop John Joseph Kennedy, the highest-ranking Vatican official on clerical abuse cases, since Fernández does not publicly partake in the activities of the dicastery.
Editor’s note: This report has been updated after publication to include comments sent to The Pillar by Cardinal Fernandez.
Far be it from me to comment on public relations strategies, but it seems to me that "Oh, you think this is bad? Boy, there's a whole bunch of even worse cases you *don't* know about!" might not be the strongest response to press scrutiny.
Lord, please heal all victims of abuse. Help them to recognize their wounds, and strengthen them in their pursuit of justice.
Please guide your Church. Help her to discern the truth and to bring all abusive shepherds to account --- whether they are clergy, leaders of religious communities, parents, or others You have entrusted with the care of your faithful.
And please bring all abusers to repentance. Help them to recognize the suffering they have caused, to seek forgiveness, and to begin to make reparations for the harm to their victims and to the Faith.