Jesuits Dismiss Famed Catholic Priest Artist- Rupnik; SNAP says its not enough

(For Immediate Release June 15, 2023) 

The priest and artist Father Marko Rupnik, accused of the physical and psychological abuse of numerous religious sisters, was dismissed from the Jesuits this month, according to the religious order. In a June 15 statement from the Society of Jesus, Rupnik was expelled due to his "stubborn refusal to observe the vow of obedience."

Rupnik had been asked to change communities and “accept a new mission,” the statement said. “Faced with Marko Rupnik’s repeated refusal to obey this mandate, we were unfortunately left with only one solution: dismissal from the Society of Jesus.”

To us, it is clear that Rupnik remains a defiant cleric in an attempt to preserve his reputation as a famed artist in the Catholic church and refuses to address serious allegations. The Jesuits announced in February that they had launched a new internal investigation into Rupnik after receiving allegations against him dating from 1985 to 2018. They claimed that the "highly credible" accusations included assertions of spiritual, psychological, and sexual assault, as well as abuse of conscience were the reason.

As we see it, expulsion from a community of priests does not stop an alleged abuser from potentially committing further harm to others. To blacklist Rupnik now does nothing in the form of justice for the nine religious women from the Loyola Community in Ljubljana, Slovenia who have stepped forward with courage to share their stories. Do nuns not deserve justice? How does the Vatican reconcile its decision to disregard the canonical process with its criminalization of adult abuse? Most importantly, why is more important to deal with Rupnik’s refusal ‘to obey’ now? In our view, that disobedience began long before the allegations were ever made public and we believe high-ranking church officials knew then what is general knowledge now.

We continue to applaud and support the brave women who have pressed on to hold Rupnik accountable and the Society of Jesus responsible for enabling him.  As always, anyone who may suspect, witnessed, or learn of abuse by Fr. Rupnik to immediately report their information authorities. 

CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, Communication Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]  Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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