Alleged abuser priest and Pope Francis favorite Fr. Rupnik cleared by Vatican court: Reports

LifeSite News ^ | July 20, 2026 | Antonio Cambria

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Alleged abuser priest and Pope Francis favorite Fr. Rupnik cleared by Vatican court: Reports

A five-judge panel reportedly cleared disgraced Fr. Marko Rupnik of all charges of ‘violence’ related to alleged sexual abuse.

Disgraced former Jesuit Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik

Father Marko Ivan Rupnik has apparently been acquitted in his Vatican canonical criminal trial of all charges of “violence” related to his alleged sexual abuse, per reports from two Italian news outlets.

While the ruling remains unconfirmed by the Vatican, MessainLatino and AdVaticanum reported on July 20 that a five-judge panel has acquitted disgraced former Jesuit cleric and favorite of Pope Francis of all allegations of “violence” in his alleged acts of sexual abuse. Though sources indicated to these outlets that the court has not ruled on all allegations of sexual abuse themselves, and a further case is being prepared against Rupnik.

As extensively reported at LifeSiteNews, Rupnik has been accused of sexually, spiritually, psychologically, and physically abusing nuns as well as male victims. The credibility of the well-documented allegations of Rupnik’s serial abuse is deemed to be “very high” by his former Jesuit superiors.

Despite Rupnik’s case being very high-profile, canonical trials before the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) are kept under seal unless the Vatican decides otherwise. Thus, the Holy See may not disclose any details about the proceedings, which has led some to question the lack of transparency in such a high-profile case.

Alleged victims of the priest have attested that he raped women under his charge, that he told a former nun to get an abortion in case she became pregnant after raping her, and that Rupnik’s sexual abuse is deeply linked to his icons, which used his victims as models.

In 2023, Pope Francis delegated the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (now Dicastery). In October 2023, the DDF announced that it had appointed a panel of five judges to decide the canonical trial of Rupnik. The reported acquittal concerns charges of “violence” in his alleged acts of sexual abuse, as indicated by news outlets in July 2024.

READ: Vatican appoints judges to decide Rupnik sexual abuse case

The ex-Jesuit’s distinctive and disturbing “art,” which portrays Christ and the saints with large “black hole” eyes, had remained on display in the Vatican and several prominent churches. These include the Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina in Giovani Rotundo, Italy, which houses the relics of St. Padre Pio, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. Some of these pieces have since been covered or removed.

In addition to their deeply disturbing nature, Catholic writers and art historians such as Hillary White have written extensively on how Rupnik’s “artwork” is in fact a demonic “parody” of medieval art and traditional Byzantine iconography.

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TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Moral Issues
KEYWORDS: jokecourt; pervert; rapist; rupnik

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In addition to their deeply disturbing nature, Catholic writers and art historians such as Hillary White have written extensively on how Rupnik’s “artwork” is in fact a demonic “parody” of medieval art and traditional Byzantine iconography.

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Ping

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“canonical trials before the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF)”

Formerly known as The Inquisition, and now headed up by notorious heretic Cardinal Tucho Fernandez, if I’m not mistaken.

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You are correct:

This is the guy!