The worldwide leader of the Jesuit order has acknowledged that Father Ivan Rupnik was excommunicated in 2019: two years before a new complaint of sexual abuse was brought against him.
Father Arturo Sosa, the superior general of the Society of Jesus, told reporters on December 14 that Father Rupnik had been excommunicated for the offense of “absolution of an accomplice;“ the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith determined in 2019 that he was guilty of giving absolution to a woman with whom he had a sexual encounter—an offense punishable by automatic excommunication.
The penalty of excommunication was lifted, Father Sosa said, because Father Rupnik repented. But new charges—involving sexual activity with women religious in Slovenia in the 1990s—were later brought against him. Jesuit leaders decided to retain “precautionary restrictions” on his ministry, barring him from hearing confessions, giving spiritual direction, or conducting spiritual exercises.
In practice it seems clear that the famous Jesuit artist and theologian was ignoring those restrictions. He was scheduled to preach spiritual exercises in Loreto, Italy, in February. And in 2020—after he had been penalized with excommunication—he preached a Lenten Sermon to the Roman Curia, evidently with the approval of Pope Francis.