Rupnik: famous artist or sex fiend?
Rev. Marko Rupnik rose to prominence as a Jesuit artist whose mosaics decorate basilicas worldwide.
But he later became the source of a sex scandal that was a bad stain in the legacy of late Jesuit Pope Francis, who was criticized for dismissing allegations of gross misconduct against Rupnik.
Now, under Leo XIV, the Vatican has empaneled judges to decide the fate of the artist, accused by more than two dozen women of ‘sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse’.
Associated Press reported:
“The Vatican office that manages clergy sex abuse cases, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that the five judges named to hear the Rupnik case in a canonical court include women and priests who don’t hold jobs in the Vatican bureaucracy.
It said that such a composition was ‘done in order to better guarantee, as in any judicial process, the autonomy and independence of the aforementioned court’.”
The Vatican’s doctrine office announced Monday that a panel of five judges has been nominated to decide the disciplinary case against Father Marko Rupnik, accused of the sexual and psychological abuse of consecrated women under his spiritual care. https://t.co/M2wNDDUsDJ
— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) October 13, 2025
JUST IN: Vatican says that on Oct 9 the 5 judges to hear the Fr Marko Rupnik case were appointed
They are women & clergy with no other position in the Roman Curia, in order to be independent
The case reopened in Oct 2023, but Cdl Fernandez said in July the judges already chosen pic.twitter.com/gUNFeln0vP
— Michael Haynes (@MLJHaynes) October 13, 2025
“The statement suggested an implicit recognition that prior to now, the Vatican’s handling of the Rupnik file had been anything but autonomous or independent.”
Most don’t have any idea about what the ‘Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’ is – but call it by its original name, and nearly everyone will know it: the Holy Inquisition.
Founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy – and is the body responsible for ‘promulgating and defending Catholic doctrine’.
It’s a very prestigious office; former Pope Benedict XVI – then called Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger – headed it with great success during John Paul II’s papacy.
But Pope Francis, being the pontiff hell-bent in ‘reforming’ (many say destroying) Catholic Doctrine, chose the ‘perfect’ man for the ‘task’: Monsignor Victor Manuel Fernández, the archbishop of La Plata, Argentina, as the prefect, or chief, of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In July 2023, I published here in TGP an article called Pope Francis Places Controversial Argentinean Bishop as New Head of Discipline and Doctrine – Monsignor Fernández Wrote Book About the ‘Art of Kissing’, and Is Accused of Covering up Sexual Abuse Allegations in His Archdiocese
You can also read Pope Francis’ ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ a Failure of Biblical Proportions – Writer Is Controversial Bishop Accused of Covering up Sexual Abuse Allegations in His Diocese.
What we are seeing now is the result of Francis’ and Fernandez’s inaction to curb sexual predators inside the church.
Read more from January 2024, also about Francis and Fernandez:
