Attorney Laura Sgro, who represents five women alleging sexual and spiritual abuse by former Jesuit priest and renowned artist Marko Ivan Rupnik, has issued a scathing denunciation of the Vatican’s secretive legal system. In a formal letter sent to the Vatican on Tuesday, Sgro demanded clarity regarding the status of the church’s investigation into the Slovenian priest. This demand followed a report from the Italian blog Messa in Latino, which claimed on Monday that Rupnik had been absolved in a canonical trial.
The Vatican has never publicly disclosed the specific crimes Rupnik faced before its in-house tribunal, making it impossible to determine if he was cleared of certain charges while others remain under investigation. Vatican officials stated on Tuesday that the case remains ongoing. The Rupnik scandal has become one of the most sensitive issues for the Holy See in recent years, largely due to persistent suggestions that the priest was shielded for over three decades by his Jesuit superiors and the Vatican hierarchy, potentially reaching up to Pope Francis.
Rupnik was once one of the most celebrated contemporary religious artists in the Catholic Church, with his stylized mosaics adorning basilicas and churches globally, including sites at Lourdes and within the Vatican itself. The scandal broke in late 2022 when Italian blogs reported allegations of misconduct against him involving women and nuns dating back to the 1990s—claims that had been consistently dismissed by the Catholic hierarchy for years.
The Jesuits acknowledged that Rupnik was briefly excommunicated in 2020 for committing one of the Catholic Church’s most serious crimes: using the confessional to absolve a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity. However, the Vatican later declined to prosecute other claims, arguing they were too old and involved adult women rather than minors. In 2023, the Jesuits expelled Rupnik from their order after more than two dozen women came forward to report sexual, spiritual, or psychological abuse occurring over a 30-year period, sometimes while collaborating with him on art projects. Rupnik remains a priest, and his supporters continue to deny any wrongdoing. Maria Campatelli, director of the Rome-based Aletti Center founded by Rupnik, has labeled the claims as “defamatory and unproven,” describing the public response as a form of media “lynching.”
Under pressure regarding suspicions that he had protected a fellow Jesuit, Pope Francis in 2023 waived the statute of limitations on the older claims to allow for a formal canonical trial. It took the Vatican two years to appoint judges, and late last year, Pope Leo XIV confirmed that the trial had officially opened. While acknowledging the women as “victims,” Leo urged patience, stating on November 4 that “processes for justice take a long time.” He emphasized that the church must respect the rights of all people, including the principle of being innocent until proven guilty, and expressed hope that the trial would provide clarity and justice.
Sgro’s letter to Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Vatican's doctrine office, sharply criticized the church’s refusal to confirm or deny the blog report. She noted that no one from the Vatican had responded to her repeated calls or emails, and that her clients had never been interviewed. “How can what is happening be reconciled with the concepts of law, truth, justice, and fairness? With the words that the Holy Father constantly speaks on behalf of the victims of abuse?” Sgro wrote. She requested answers regarding whether the trial had begun, its current status, the identity of the judges, and why her clients were not admitted as injured parties or called to testify.
In canonical abuse investigations, victims are treated as third-party witnesses rather than participants. They have no access to case files, no right to know if an investigation has started, and no right to participate in secret proceedings. While a 2019 reform by Pope Francis allows victims to be informed of the final outcome, they remain excluded from the process. This lack of rights has been condemned by international commissions, which argue that the church’s secretive procedures retraumatize victims. Critics note that canon law is institution-centric, focusing on restoring justice and repairing scandal rather than addressing the needs of survivors. French experts reviewing the French clergy abuse scandal in 2021 suggested that the Vatican’s canonical investigations were in breach of its obligations as a U.N. observer state and member of the Council of Europe, which require the protection of basic human rights for victims.
