The Holy See has responded to reports that Father Marko Rupnik has been acquitted in his Vatican trial, stating that the case is still ongoing and any suggestion Rupnik has been already acquitted is “unfounded”.
“With regard to certain reports that have appeared in the media in recent days, I reiterate that the reports concerning any decision by the judges presiding over the case of Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik are completely unfounded,” read a statement from the Holy See Press Office director issued to journalists today.
“The review of the [Rupnik] case is still ongoing, and the panel is examining documentation provided by the dioceses involved, the Jesuits, the parties concerned, and from the press,” the Vatican added.
The Press Office rejected the possibility of any information being released while proceedings are ongoing, out of concern for the integrity of the investigation: “During the proceedings, as with any judicial process, no information regarding the ongoing investigation may be shared in any way out of respect for the process itself and to avoid causing harm to all those involved in the matter, as has occurred in recent days. Should the panel determine that it requires further information, it will take the necessary steps on its own initiative to obtain it.”
On Monday afternoon, a report from reliably-sourced outlet Messa in Latino had suggested that Rupnik would be acquitted in the trial which is currently underway at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The former Jesuit and internationally prominent artist, has been at the centre of scandal in Rome and the Vatican in recent years, after serial allegations of sexual, spiritual, physical and psychological abuse were lodged against him by numerous individuals.
Rupnik is alleged to have abused over half of the 40 members of the Loyola Community which he co-founded, and since his case gained public interest in 2022 at least 15 more alleged victims have come forward to testify against him. His infamous art work is also alleged to be intimately connected to his alleged serial abuse, with religious sisters giving detailed testimonies about how he would abuse them while working on his mosaics.
However, the Vatican has not stated what exactly Rupnik is being tried for, with only one unnamed Vatican source telling OSV News last spring that the priest would soon be tried under the DDF’s then-incoming norms concerning crimes of spiritual abuse for the charges of “spiritual abuse” and “false mysticism”, with the sentence expected in “the not too distant future”.
Continuing its statement today, the Holy See Press Office noted that “this canonical criminal proceeding is of a judicial nature and, as previously communicated, is exempt from the statute of limitations for any offences and may determine guilt or innocence in accordance with Canon Law.”
The Vatican added: “Canon Law has the authority to judge and impose penalties regarding matters within the Church, while the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik remains subject to the laws of the countries where any offences may have been committed; the statute of limitations for such offences is determined by the laws of each country, independent of ecclesiastical authority.”
In October 2025 the Vatican announced that five judges had been appointed to the case, after Cdl. Fernández had stated in July that judges had been chosen. Some weeks later in November, Leo XIV said the trial had recently started, but cautioned that “processes for justice take a long time”.
The judges are all described as being independent and outside of the Roman Curia.
For full background and details on the Rupnik case, find the Catholic Herald’s reporting here.
Michael Haynes is an English journalist in the Holy See Press Corps. He serves as Vatican Correspondent for the Catholic Herald, while readers can follow him at Per Mariam and on X @MLJHaynes.
