A statement released by the Dictastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announces that women and clerics from outside the former Holy Office and Roman Curia will serve on the panel judging the former Jesuit Fr. Marko Rupnik, accused of abuse by several religious sisters.
By Vatican News
The Vatican has announced the appointment of five judges to oversee the canonical trial of former Jesuit priest and renowned artist, Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik, who has been accused by several adult consecrated women of psychological and sexual abuse.
In a statement released on Monday, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said the judges were appointed on 9 October, 2025. The tribunal will be responsible for examining the serious allegations against Fr. Rupnik, who was dismissed from the Society of Jesus in June 2023 following multiple accusations.
According to the statement, the judicial panel is made up of women and clerics who are not members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, nor do they hold any office within the Roman Curia.
“This decision,” the statement emphasizes, “is intended to better ensure the autonomy and independence of the tribunal, as is necessary in any judicial process.”
The late Pope Francis had entrusted the case to the Doctrine of the Faith on 27 October, 2023, choosing to lift the statute of limitations in order to allow a full trial to proceed.
