The Vatican & The Pope

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Vatican defends secrecy in sensitive abuse case involving ex-Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik The Vatican has confirmed that a church trial against a famous ex-Jesuit priest accused of spiritual and sexual abuse of women is ongoing and defended the secrecy of the proceeding as necessary. An Italian blog had reported that an acquittal verdict was reached in the case against the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik, a Slovenian artist whose mosaic designs decorate Vatican chapels and churches around the world. The Vatican press office said the report was “totally unfounded.” Read more.

Why this matters: The Rupnik scandal exploded publicly in 2022, when Italian blogs first reported claims by women and nuns of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse by Rupnik dating back to the 1990s that had been consistently dismissed by the Catholic hierarchy.   Amid the #MeToo reckoning about adult sexual abuse in the church, the Rupnik case has become one of the most sensitive matters for the Holy See. There have been suggestions that Rupnik was protected for decades by his Jesuit superiors and the Vatican hierarchy, up to and including the Jesuit Pope Francis.   The Jesuits expelled Rupnik from their order in 2023 and Francis, under pressure because of suggestions he had protected the priest, waived the statute of limitations on the older claims so that the Vatican could open a proper canonical trial.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Woman who says she was abused spiritually and sexually by a once-famous Jesuit demands transparency Vatican law criminalizes abuse of adults by priests, laity  Supporter defends expelled Jesuit priest against ‘lynching’, says abuse claims unproven

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Pope Leo XIV will visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in his first Latin American trip as pontiff

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV will make his first trip to Latin America as pontiff in November, returning to a region where he spent much of his ministry, with visits to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, the Vatican announced Wednesday.

https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-leo-peru-argentina-uruguay-latin-701f20187f230f504f15a2b2fb52a89b?

Pope Leo to meet with clergy abuse survivors during upcoming trip to France

MILAN (AP) — Pope Leo XIV will meet with survivors of clergy abuse during a four-day trip to France next month that will include a visit to UNESCO headquarters, a meeting with French bishops in Lourdes and an interreligious meeting in the border city of Metz, the Vatican announced on Friday.

https://apnews.com/article/pope-visit-france-clergy-abuse-a633186bd81f411119cf2060c7c40a65?