The announcement that the Pontifical University of Paraná, in Argentina, decided this Monday to revoke the title “out of unworthiness” honoris causa Awarded to world-renowned Slovenian Jesuit artist and priest Marko Rupnik, accused of sexually abusing at least nine nunsit has rekindled a great scandal that is shaking even the leaders of the Church.
The opacity in the treatment of a burning case due to the coverage in ecclesiastical leadership in favor of the Jesuit Rupnik reached its peak after the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which had excommunicated him for having committed the extremely serious canonical crime of absolving in confession an accomplice (a woman with whom he had sexual relations), decided to lift the excommunication.
The decision could only have been taken with the consent of the Prefect of the Congregation, Spanish Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria. But for everyone it is impossible that the high prelate saved Rupnik by his decision.
Suspicions converge on the figure of Pope Francis himself, the only one who can give such an order to Cardinal Ladaria.
The Vatican correspondent of the newspaper The messengerFranca Giansoldati, wrote this Wednesday that “more than an enigma, the case seems to be a dead end”.
“The brutal case of Jesuit Marko Rupnik, accused of sexual assault and manipulation of conscience by several nuns, has become an example of the lack of transparency in the Vatican regarding sexual abuse,” he added.
Pope Francis, in a recent interview with the Associated Press that had wide repercussions, denied having any role in handling the case.
“On the other hand, many doubts remain open,” says Giansoldati.
Who is Marko Rupnik?
The Slovenian Jesuit Rupnik is very famous for his greatness talent for making mosaics with evangelical scenes They are found in many parts of the world and even adorn the Vatican palaces. “It was a surprise to me, though. This person, an artist of this level. For me it was a great surprise and a wound».
In the interview with AP, the pontiff said that more transparency was needed. “And with transparency above a very beautiful thing which is shame. Shame is a grace,” he remarked.
But the mystery is not solved. Vatican expert Giansoldati reports that after an investigation within the Society of Jesus the case was transferred to the Vatican and that the artist was condemned by the Congregation of the Faith for the canonical crime which provides for the immediate excommunication of the prisoner.
“For the Church it is a grave sin. Rupnik, however, was mysteriously pardoned a short time later, a special provision was adopted in favor of him which, technically, awaits only the pontiff”, he writes. The messenger.
In the interview, the Pope explained to the Associated Press that he intervened only in procedural terms, and “to keep the series of complaints of nine nuns victims of abuse before the same court”.
Francisco said that otherwise the procedural paths would have been divided “and therefore everything is confused”.
The Vatican Gansoldati underlines that the US press has shown that “the math doesn’t add up”.
“If in January 2020 the judges of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith unanimously recognized Rupnik guilty of the very serious crime, and in May 2020 the excommunication was canceled with a ‘sweep in the sponge’ by Cardinal Prefect Ladaria… .the question is what happened,” he said.
No one denies that Father Rupnik enjoyed himself Influential friendships and coverage which date back to the time of the long pontificate of Saint John Paul II. The Jesuits of the Society of Jesus have recently taken up the case, stating that they had applied “precautionary measures” to Rupnik after an investigation into cases of sexual abuse and the acquittal of an accomplice, which led to his excommunication which was later mysteriously revoked.
The investigations had shown that “the allegations were credible”. The Pontifical University of Paraná has revoked the Doctorate that was conferred on November 30, 2022 to the Slovenian artist.
Apparently university students who over the years have conferred honorary degrees and other honors on Father Rupnik for his extraordinary Gospel mosaics, they are considering removing the honors conferredbut they also wonder if they can demolish their works.
This is a tremendous topic. Those who advocate destruction argue that it is not morally acceptable to keep the works of a serial sexual abuser in holy places where people go to pray and seek God.
But in these cases the remedy seems worse than the disease: the works are worth by themselves, even beyond the villainy of their own author.
B. C
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.