Head Of Jesuits Claims They Have Learned From Their Mistakes With The Rupnik Sexual Abuse Case

In a conversation with the press earlier this week, the Venezuelan Jesuit superior general, Fr Arturo Sosa, acknowledged that his order had been “blind” to abuses committed by Rupnik, the renowned artist and Catholic priest expelled from the Society nearly two years ago.

The notorious case of Fr Marko Rupnik, who is accused of abusing more than 30 adult women, “is not an easy case to speak about, because it caused a lot of pain, for the victims first of all,” Fr Sosa told journalists during a press conference on April 10.

These abuses happened “due to our blindness, because it’s true that we didn’t see it,” Fr Sosa admitted, adding: “This blindness came from not putting the various signs together.”

“It’s very common in abuse cases, not only in the Rupnik case, that it’s not easy for victims to come forward with complaints,” he explained. “It takes a lot of time and also depends on many factors.” Fr Sosa conceded that as a community, “we lacked sensitivity to notice what was happening.”

Fr Sosa said that due to this unfortunate experience, “we can now see more clearly—not only concerning Rupnik’s case but also other cases in the Society and in the Church.”

“I think we’ve learned to have more sensitivity in these matters, and we want the tools to face them effectively,” he said. Nevertheless, he admitted: “There is much to do, especially along the path to healing.”

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