Vatican defends secrecy as abuse trial of ex-Jesuit artist deepens transparency row

The Vatican confirmed on Wednesday that proceedings against Marko Rupnik, a renowned ex-Jesuit artist, remain active while defending the confidentiality of the trial as necessary to guarantee due process. According to the Associated Press, the church said the secrecy protects the rights of all parties involved. The case centres on five women who say they were sexually and spiritually abused by Rupnik, whose religious art and spiritual direction earned him international prominence before allegations surfaced.

The lawyer representing the five women issued a scathing denunciation of the Vatican's secretive legal system on Tuesday, according to AP reporting. She argued that her clients have no right to know the charges, no access to evidence, and no ability to confront their accuser—a procedural opacity that stands in stark contrast to secular courts across Europe and North America. The critique comes amid the broader #MeToo reckoning, which has exposed institutional resistance to transparency in abuse cases across religious and secular hierarchies alike.