The role of the Society of Jesus
Along these lines, the Italian bishop specified that “no direct or indirect responsibility can be attributed to the Society of Jesus, except perhaps for having always trusted Fr. Rupnik, like everyone else, until the accusations came to light.”
“To my knowledge,” he continued, “the incidents involving the sisters of the Loyola Community were kept by each of them in the secret of her conscience until the moment of the accusations. I don’t even know that the sisters talked about it among themselves.”
Father Johan Verschueren, delegate for the Interprovincial Houses and Works in Rome and Rupnik’s former superior, told ACI Prensa that in the Society of Jesus “he had no voice” in the dissolution of the Loyola Community .
“We did not play any role in the dissolution (“votum” was not requested, nor was it given…). There was none and there is no connection with the Loyola Community since 1993,” he stated.
Investigation of the community in 2019
The Archdiocese of Ljubljana in Slovenia reported that, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the approval of the constitutions of the Loyola Community in 2019, the archbishop of Ljubljana, Stanislav Zore, paid a visit to the Loyola Community. At the end of the visit, in February 2020, he reported the results to the Vatican Dicastery for Institutions of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
However, because the Loyola Community had its General House in Rome, the dicastery referred the matter to the Diocese of Rome.
To pursue the matter, a commissioner was appointed, Bishop Daniele Libanori, who “after several conversations with all the sisters, drafted a final report that was sent to the dicastery in September 2022 through the apostolic nunciature.” As a result, a decree of dissolution was issued on Oct. 20, 2023.
Pope Francis lifted statute of limitations
Pope Francis asked the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in September to review the case of the Jesuit priest and world-renowned artist and decided to lift the statute of limitations to allow a trial to take place.
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The Holy Father made this decision after the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors informed him of the serious problems in the way the priest’s case was handled and the lack of attention to the victims.
Rupnik was incardinated in August 2023 in the Diocese of Koper,Slovenia, just two months after being expelled from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), on June 15.
The local bishop accepted the priest’s request to be received into the diocese “on the basis of the decree of Rupnik’s dismissal from the Jesuit Order” and “the fact that no court ruling has been issued against Rupnik,” a situation which could change in the future with a canonical trial.
Loyola Community Foundation and Aletti Center
The former Jesuit and world-renowned artist founded the Loyola Community along with Sister Ivanka Hosta in the 1980s.
Rupnik was chaplain of the community until he dramatically broke all relations with the religious institution in September 1993, after allegedly committing abuses during his time at the head of the religious community.