Two Former Nuns Allege Sexual Abuse by Renowned Jesuit Priest
A press conference held in Rome on Wednesday led to a chilling revelation of sexual, psychological, and power abuse by former Jesuit and renowned artist Marko Rupnik, who was still serving as a priest in Slovenia. The two brave former nuns who shared their harrowing stories of abuse were Gloria Branciani, who is set to turn 60 in April, and Mirjam Kovac. They spoke out for the first time about the abuse they suffered, in front of a room filled with over a hundred journalists from various media outlets around the world.
Marko Ivan Rupnik’s decorated the Redemptoris Mater chapel of the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican with his colorful mosaics, among several other international projects. However, the scandal surrounding him surfaced in December 2021, when the Society of Jesus admitted to receiving a complaint from nuns of the Loyola Community of Ljubljana, Slovenia, founded in the 1980s, who accused Rupnik of sexual and psychological abuse. This came after a complaint had been filed against him for having confessed and absolved a nun whom he had abused, imposing silence on her, leading to an initial excommunication decree that was later revoked.
In a two and a half hour press conference, Branciani and Kovac revealed the details of abuse that they endured while under the influence of Rupnik, as they called for the truth to be unveiled, justice to be served, and for the Pope to launch a serious investigation. They accused Rupnik of being protected and covered up by the Catholic Church, similar to cases involving other well-known Church figures, like former American cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
Rupnik, using his position as a spiritual father, confessor, and famous artist, allegedly subjected vulnerable nuns to sexual abuse, forced them into performing sexual acts and engaging in “collective orgies,” all under the guise of spiritual enlightenment. The victims also shed light on the fact that their reports about the abuses were ignored and covered up by the community’s leadership and the Church.
In the face of brutal psychological and spiritual trauma, the victims have chosen to share their traumatic experiences with the public and demand justice for the grave injustices they have suffered at the hands of a man who had taken an oath to uphold the principles of faith and morality.