Is Pope Francis protecting Marko Rupnik?

As these lines are being written, Pope Francis is in the middle of an overnight visit to the southern French port city of Marseille. And he’s made some very bold and extremely important statements that Europe and its elected leaders needs to hear regarding the Old Continent’s policy (or, rather, lack of policy and foresight) regarding the arrival of migrants and refugees from various parts of Africa, the Middle East, and other so-called “third world” areas of the Global South. Europe, with its aging population and dangerously low birth rate, needs immigrants. The question, as the pope rightly points out, is how to integrate them in a way that preserves and enriches European civilization. There is much to discuss on this issue and Francis is to be credited for pushing the continent’s political and societal leaders to do so more seriously and with greater perspicacity.

Pope’s legacy could be in jeopardy

But there is an ugly shadow quietly looming over the papal visit, which has nothing to do with the Jesuit pope’s prophetic leadership on the migration issue or whatever else he’s addressed in Marseille. Indeed, it is a matter that could badly tarnish his entire pontificate and legacy. We’re talking about the way Francis has handled the case of Marko Rupnik, the (former Jesuit) priest-mosaic artist who has been credibly accused of sexually and spiritually abusing numerous women religious. The Society of Jesus expelled the 68-year-old Slovenian from the religious order earlier this year after he refused to follow the restrictions (penalties for the abuse) that his superiors placed on him, his artistic work, and his ministry.

The comments Francis has made concerning Rupnik’s case and the actions the pope has (or has not) taken in its regard have left a number of unanswered questions. There has been a disturbing lack of transparency throughout the entire saga and the person most responsible for that is the pope himself. But recent developments related to Rupnik – and which directly involve Francis – are even more disturbing than anything that has surfaced until now. The long and short of it? Evidence suggests that the pope has been protecting his former confrere. Or at least that he does not believe the accusations the women have made against Rupnik.

One should hesitate to say much more at this point, because by the time most people read this column, journalists on the papal plane returning to Rome this (Saturday) evening will have asked Francis about these recent developments related to Rupnik. And the 86-year-old pope will have answered or refused to answer the questions.

Pope meets with Rupnik’s staunchest defender

Here’s what has happened: the pope held a private audience on September 15 with Maria Campatelli, a theologian who directs the Centro Aletti, the artistic community that Rupnik founded in Rome many years ago. What is so disturbing about the pope meeting Campatelli? She has staunchly defended Rupnik against the abuse charges from the very beginning and has accused his former Jesuit superiors and journalists for whipping up a media campaign to discredit him. What kind of message did Francis want to send by ordering Vatican Media – as he did – to publish photos of him seated with Campatelli in the study where he holds official meetings with top Church and political leaders?

Astonishingly, just three days after this meeting, the Diocese of Rome – that is the pope’s diocese – released a statement that basically cleared Rupnik of the abuse allegations. It revealed that the Vicariate of Rome (as the administration that runs the diocese on the pope’s behalf is called) carried out a six-month investigation into Rupnik and the Centro Alleti. This was the first time anyone but a few people had even heard of such an inquiry. The September 18 statement accused the Society of Jesus and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) of carrying out “gravely anomalous procedures” in the way they dealt with the Slovenian priest.

The Vicariate of Rome and the pope’s authorization

The DDF at one point in its own dealings with Rupnik had ascertained that the priest had incurred automatic excommunication for giving sacramental absolution to a woman with whom he had engaged with sexually. Only the Roman Pontiff or someone he deputes can remove the excommunication for such a grave “delict”. Yet Pope Francis has denied that he ordered the penalty to be lifted or that he was involved in any significant way in the DDF’s dealings with Rupnik.

The Vicariate of Rome’s statement said its own investigation “generated well-founded doubts even about the request for excommunication itself”. It said Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, papal vicar for Rome, has sent the report of the investigation to “the competent authorities.” What does this even mean? The pope? The vicariate carries out its ministry and administrative duties on behalf of the pope. Are we to believe that the cardinal-vicar or any of his aides would undertake such sensitive and potentially explosive initiatives without authorization from the Roman Pontiff, especially since Francis recently strengthened the pope’s direct involvement in all major decisions of the Vicariate.

Cardinal Ladaria and Rupnik’s victims

No doubt the Jesuit pope will have explained this on the flight back home from Marseille. And perhaps he’ll have also revealed why his confrere Cardinal Luis Ladaria SJ asked him to be excused from attending the upcoming assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The 79-year-old Spanish theologian, who headed the DDF from 2017 until just a couple of weeks ago, was a papal appointment to the assembly. Officials in the Synod secretariat this week gave no reason why Ladaria – who led the DDF’s review of the Rupnik allegations and confirmed the priest-artist had incurred latae sententiae excommunication – decided to bow out.

Finally, there was yet another disturbing development in the Rupnik saga these past days. Four of the at least 15 women who say the Slovenian priest abused them released an open letter to Francis and other Church officials on September 19, expressing “bewilderment” at the Vicariate of Rome’s statement and the highly publicized nature of the pope’s meeting with Maria Campatelli.

“That meeting… in such a friendly atmosphere was thrown in the faces of the victims (these and all victims of abuse); a meeting that the pope denied them. He never even responded to the four letters that religious sisters and former religious sisters of the Loyola Community sent him in July 2021,” the signatories said, referring to the women’s community in Slovenia where Rupnik was a spiritual director before coming to Rome.

The women ended their open letter to the pope with these words: “The victims are left with a voiceless cry of new abuse.” Assuming that Pope Francis has heard them, one can only conclude that he must not believe them.