Rome – Despite the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith recently announcing the appointment of judges for the canonical trial of Marko Ivan Rupnik, the Slovenian priest accused of abusing several nuns continues to exercise his ministry without any restriction. Nothing seems to undermine his freedom of movement nor his ecclesial influence. Guaranteeing him this privilege — or rather, this protection — have been figures such as Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, then the Pope’s Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, and now Cardinal Baldassare Reina, his successor, who should be supervising the Centro Aletti, which has instead become a sort of extraterritorial zone, beyond any effective control.
In the past, De Donatis had already stood out for defending the Centro Aletti, the institute founded by Rupnik, appointing a so-called “third-party visitor” who, far from being independent, turned out to be a “friendly tourist.” The result of that visitation was an “acquittal” for the Center, which effectively covered up years of violations of the restrictions imposed on the Slovenian priest by the Society of Jesus.
This summer, while Silere non possum denounced the inappropriateness of the “jubilee outing” organized by Msgr. Gianpiero Palmieri, archbishop-bishop of Ascoli Piceno and San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto, at the Casa Santa Severa of the Centro Aletti with his diocesan priests, Father Marko Ivan Rupnik was preaching in the same place — welcomed by faithful and priests as if nothing had happened, in an atmosphere of normality that cries out for scandal.
Palmieri, a man from De Donatis’ inner circle, not only ignored every call for prudence but also tried to delegitimize criticism, accusing those who raised concerns of being polemical and unqualified to speak. It is the usual dynamic: those who denounce are discredited, while those who cover up are rewarded. Palmieri knows this mechanism well — he navigates it skillfully, accustomed as he is to elbowing his way through ecclesiastical salons to obtain what he wants, only to react hysterically whenever a collaborator or priest dares to remind him that the center of the universe does not coincide with his person.
Palmieri and the priests from the Marche region stayed at the Centro Santa Severa on June 26–27, while Rupnikpreached there from June 29 to July 3. Leading the exercises for Palmieri and his clergy was Father Ivan Bresciani, for years part of the Centro Aletti’s leadership, who not only failed to prevent Rupnik from violating the Jesuit restrictions but also covered and supported him. And despite this, Palmieri, following De Donatis’ indication, chose to incardinate Bresciani in the Diocese of Ascoli Piceno, thereby rewarding one of those who helped perpetuate the code of silence.
The truth is that Rupnik, once dismissed from the Society of Jesus, managed to build himself a perfect escape route. He was incardinated in the Diocese of Koper (Capodistria), welcomed kindly by his friend Msgr. Jurij Bizjak. The procedure was a canonical farce: canon 269 of the Code of Canon Law requires the bishop to verify the conduct and moral suitability of the cleric before accepting him — but what need is there to verify, when everyone knows and no one wants to see?
Rupnik does not reside in the Slovenian diocese: he lives permanently in Rome, where he continues to direct his “artistic work” and preach spiritual exercises as if nothing had happened, while the Holy See remains silent and imposes no precautionary measures. The same applies to Bresciani, who travels to Ascoli Piceno only to preach to priests, but otherwise continues his activities with the Centro Aletti. If any other priest were accused of similar crimes, he would have long been laicized. Rupnik, however, remains a priest — and even enjoys the protection of a diocesethat has welcomed him. Meanwhile, a priest accused of far lesser offenses would receive a flat refusal if he asked to transfer to another diocese. In fact, there are today priests unable to move not because of scandals or crimes, but simply because their bishops deny permission, even in the presence of serious family reasons.
It is yet another demonstration that within the Church there is no equal justice for all: everything depends on the network of relationships, protections, and friendships. And even the trial against Rupnik, however “independent” or “impartial” it may be presented, is born devoid of credibility, because the disparity of treatment remains the most evident of all judgments.
Today, theCentro Aletti, confident in the protection it continues to enjoy, has gone so far as to publish on its YouTube channel the meditation delivered by Rupnik during the summer. And that’s not all: the meditation is paywalled. Want to hear the words of the “spiritual master”? You pay.
After all, at the Centro Aletti, money is always needed — they claim to be poor, very poor, yet continue to run an enterprise that has little of the Gospel and much of commerce.
The Rupnik case reveals the extent to which the ecclesiastical system can bend to protect those who belong to the right circle. Rupnik is not an ordinary cleric: he is the symbol of a Church that absolves itself, that preaches mercy but practices favoritism, that speaks of victims yet listens only to those with thick wallets and influence in the corridors of power. And while the faithful demand truth, the Slovenian priest continues to preach, to decorate sanctuaries, and to be welcomed by complacent prelates.
“When one enjoys protection at the highest levels, there is nothing to fear,” wrote Silere non possum back in 2022. Those words now sound like a verdict. In an age when the Church proclaims its commitment to fighting abuse, the Rupnik affairremains a bitter window into reality: if you are powerful, you have nothing to worry about.
d.R.M.
Silere non possum