Secretive Vatican Legal System Criticized in Scathing Letter

The lawyer for five women who claim they were sexually, psychologically, and spiritually abused by a former Jesuit priest has written a scathing denunciation of the Vatican’s secretive legal system. In a letter to the Vatican, attorney Laura Sgro demanded to know the status of the Vatican investigation into the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik.

Rupnik, a former internationally known religious artist, was accused of misconduct by women and nuns dating back to the 1990s. The Jesuits admitted that he had been excommunicated briefly in 2020 for using the confessional to absolve a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity.

However, the Vatican later refused to prosecute claims of other women against him, arguing that they were too old and involved adult women, not minors, at the time of the alleged abuse. The Jesuits expelled Rupnik from their order in 2023 after more than two dozen women came forward to say he had sexually, spiritually, or psychologically abused them over 30 years.

Under pressure from suspicions that he had protected his fellow Jesuit, Pope Francis waived the statute of limitations on the older claims so that the Vatican could open a proper canonical trial. However, the Vatican took two years to appoint judges, and it is still unclear what alleged crimes Rupnik faced in the in-house church tribunal.

The Vatican has never said what alleged crimes Rupnik faced in its in-house church tribunal, so there was no way to know if he had possibly been absolved of some charges while the investigation continues into others. Vatican officials said Tuesday the case was ongoing.

The Rupnik scandal has become one of the most sensitive matters for the Holy See in recent years, given suggestions that the Slovenian priest was protected for over three decades by his Jesuit superiors and the Vatican hierarchy, up to and including Pope Francis.

The lack of rights owed to victims in canonical trials has been repeatedly condemned by international commissions and inquests into clergy abuse that have found that the church’s procedures retraumatize victims through their secrecy and opacity. Part of the problem is that canon law was never meant to address the needs of abuse survivors or to help them heal.

French experts who conducted a broad review of the French clergy abuse scandal said in 2021 that with its problematic canonical investigations, the Vatican was in breach of its obligations as a U.N. observer state and member of the Council of Europe, which requires upholding the basic human rights of victims.

In a letter to the head of the Vatican office that handles sex abuse cases, Sgro complained that no one from the Vatican had ever responded to her calls or emails seeking information about the case, and that her clients had never even been interviewed.

“How can what is happening be reconciled with the concepts of law, truth, justice, and fairness? With the words that the Holy Father constantly speaks on behalf of the victims of abuse?” Sgro wrote Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s doctrine office.

“I therefore ask you once again, Your Eminence, to answer some simple, basic questions regarding a criminal trial involving victims who first filed complaints more than thirty years ago: Has the trial begun? If so, what is the current status of the case? Who are the judges? What has become of my clients’ requests to be admitted as injured parties in the trial? Why were these women not called to testify?”

The lack of transparency in the Vatican’s legal system has been a long-standing issue, with many critics arguing that it allows for the cover-up of abuse and the re-traumatization of victims. The Vatican has faced numerous criticism for its handling of clergy abuse cases, including its failure to report allegations to civil authorities and its refusal to allow victims to participate in the investigation process.

However, the Vatican has also taken steps to address the issue of clergy abuse, including the establishment of a new tribunal to handle abuse cases and the implementation of new policies to prevent abuse and protect victims. The Vatican has also acknowledged the need for greater transparency and accountability in its handling of clergy abuse cases.

Despite the progress made, many critics argue that the Vatican’s secretive legal system remains a major obstacle to justice and healing for victims of clergy abuse. The Rupnik scandal has highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the Vatican’s handling of clergy abuse cases, and has sparked renewed calls for reform of the Vatican’s legal system.

The outcome of the Rupnik trial will likely have a significant impact on Pope Francis’ legacy, and will be closely followed by victims and their advocates. The Vatican’s handling of the case has been widely criticized, and many are calling for greater transparency and accountability in the Vatican’s legal system.

The Vatican’s secretive legal system has been criticized for allowing the cover-up of abuse and the re-traumatization of victims. The lack of transparency in the Vatican’s legal system has been a long-standing issue, with many critics arguing that it allows for the cover-up of abuse and the re-traumatization of victims.

However, the Vatican has also taken steps to address the issue of clergy abuse, including the establishment of a new tribunal to handle abuse cases and the implementation of new policies to prevent abuse and protect victims. The Vatican has also acknowledged the need for greater transparency and accountability in its handling of clergy abuse cases.

The Rupnik scandal has highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the Vatican’s handling of clergy abuse cases, and has sparked renewed calls for reform of the Vatican’s legal system.