The Jesuits dismissed Rupnik on June 9 after the priest and artist had been accused of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse, and abuse of conscience, spanning more than three decades.
Father Johan Verschueren, SJ, Rupnik’s former superior, wrote an open letter posted to the Jesuit website on June 24 stating that Rupnik was officially no longer a Jesuit after the 30-day window to appeal the decision had closed.
Campatelli defended Rupnik in a letter posted to the Aletti Center website June 17, two days after the public announcement of the priest’s expulsion from the Society of Jesus.
The theologian said Rupnik had in January requested to leave the Jesuits after losing trust in his superiors for favoring “a media campaign based on defamatory and unproven accusations (which exposed the person of Father Rupnik and the Aletti Center to forms of lynching).”
She also accused the Jesuit order of withholding information from the media, including documents “which would demonstrate a truth different from that which was being published.”
Campatelli went on to say that the Jesuits had asked Rupnik to transfer to a Jesuit community in northern Italy in March. She claimed the transfer request was “purely instrumental” and used as a “presupposition for an act of disobedience.”