Two Italian dioceses ban Catholic funerals for prominent members of Freemasonry

Two Italian dioceses have prevented, within just a few hours of each other, the celebration of Catholic funerals for two prominent members of Freemasonry. 

In Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina denied the funeral Mass planned for Bruno Battisti D’Amario, a guitarist linked for years to Ennio Morricone and former leader of the Grande Oriente d’Italia; shortly afterward, the Bishop of Ventimiglia-Sanremo, Antonio Suetta, suspended the funeral rites of Mario Tarducci, who had been the venerable master of a local lodge.

In both cases, the Masonic affiliation of the deceased came to light after the ceremonies had already been scheduled. The decisions were made in accordance with the Church’s discipline on ecclesiastical funerals, while the doctrinal judgment remains in force that membership in Freemasonry is incompatible with the Catholic faith.

Rome suspends the funeral of a prominent member of the Grande Oriente

The first case occurred in Rome. Bruno Battisti D’Amario had died on August 5 at the age of 88, and his funeral was scheduled at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Montesanto, known as the Church of the Artists, located in the central Piazza del Popolo.

The celebration had been requested by the family and initially accepted by the church authorities, who were unaware of the deceased’s Masonic background.

It was the Grande Oriente d’Italia itself that made this affiliation public when announcing his death. The Masonic organization announced the “passing to the Eternal Orient of our beloved brother master Bruno Battisti D’Amario” and detailed the responsibilities he had held for years within its structure.

Battisti D’Amario had been the founder of the Roman Giuseppe Leti lodge, composer of the official anthem of the Grande Oriente, twice president of the Circumscriptional College of Venerable Masters of Lazio, and counselor of the Order.

Upon learning of this background, the rector of Santa Maria in Montesanto, Monsignor Antonio Staglianò, referred the case to Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome.

As Staglianò explained to La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, Reina consulted with the diocesan legal office and later communicated in writing that the funeral Mass could not be authorized.

“We verified, also by speaking with the daughter, who unfortunately told us she knew nothing about this story, but the father, as the Grande Oriente d’Italia revealed, was a Mason in a prominent position,” Staglianò noted.

A family prayer instead of the funeral

The rector explained that the basilica authorities were completely unaware of Battisti D’Amario’s Masonic affiliation when they initially authorized the celebration. According to his daughter, she too had no knowledge of that aspect of her father’s life.

Following Cardinal Reina’s decision, the funeral rites were replaced by a prayer with the family to commend the soul of the deceased to the mercy of God, with a priest present without liturgical vestments.

Staglianò clarified that the refusal to hold the funeral does not prevent Masses from being offered later for the repose of the deceased’s soul.

Battisti D’Amario was a recognized figure in Italian music. A professor of classical guitar, he maintained a long collaboration with Ennio Morricone and participated in some of his best-known film scores.

A second funeral suspended in Ventimiglia-Sanremo

Just a day later, a similar case reached the Diocese of Ventimiglia-Sanremo, located in the Italian region of Liguria, near the border with France.

Bishop Antonio Suetta suspended the ecclesiastical funeral rites scheduled at the parish church of San Marco in Camporosso for Mario Tarducci, after learning that the deceased had belonged to a local Masonic lodge where he had served as venerable master.

In this case as well, the funeral had already been scheduled when the diocese became aware of the Masonic affiliation.

The diocese itself explained in a statement that the information came through a local publication and publicly displayed obituaries. Suetta then held conversations with the parish priest and the deceased’s family and requested instructions from higher authorities on how to proceed.

Unable to obtain them within the short time available and aware of the decision just made by Cardinal Reina in a similar case in Rome, the bishop decided to follow the same criterion.

“In light of a similar case, presented simultaneously in the Diocese of Rome, sharing the same indications given there by the Vicar of His Holiness, Cardinal Reina, the bishop, in accordance with canon 1184, has ordered that the scheduled ecclesiastical funeral rites not be celebrated,” the diocese stated.

Ventimiglia-Sanremo also announced that it would later publish a note with legal-pastoral guidelines on ecclesiastical funerals.

The Church maintains its judgment on Freemasonry

The decisions of both dioceses take place within a doctrinal context that the Holy See has reiterated on various occasions.

In 1983, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then presided over by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, issued a declaration to clarify doubts that arose after the new Code of Canon Law ceased to explicitly mention Masonic associations.

“Therefore, the Church’s negative judgment on Masonic associations remains unchanged, because their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church,” the dicastery stated.

The declaration further specified that “the faithful who belong to Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and cannot approach Holy Communion.”

Forty years later, in November 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith again addressed the issue. With the approval of Francis, it reiterated that “active affiliation with Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited” due to the “irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry.”

Canon 1184

Canon 1184 of the Code of Canon Law regulates cases in which ecclesiastical funerals must be denied.

The norm establishes that, unless they had given some sign of repentance before death, notorious apostates, heretics, and schismatics, as well as “other manifest sinners to whom ecclesiastical funerals cannot be granted without public scandal to the faithful,” must be deprived of them.

When any doubt exists, the same canon provides that the Ordinary of the place must be consulted and his decision respected.

In Rome, Staglianò turned to Cardinal Reina once Battisti D’Amario’s Masonic background became known. In Camporosso, Suetta explicitly cited canon 1184 when announcing the suspension of Tarducci’s funeral and took as reference the criterion adopted a few hours earlier by the Pope’s vicar.

Canon 1185 further establishes that the funeral Mass must be denied to anyone who has been excluded from ecclesiastical funerals.

These provisions regulate the public celebration of the Church’s funeral rites and do not constitute a judgment on the eternal destiny of the deceased. In the two Italian cases, the question presented to the respective bishops was whether a Catholic funeral could be celebrated after the prominent Masonic affiliation of the deceased became publicly known.

The Dioceses of Rome and Ventimiglia-Sanremo resolved, within just a few hours of each other, that the ecclesiastical funeral rites could not be celebrated.

Christian "liquid" identity and "toxic mix": the theses of the Archbishop of Paderborn on the Church

The Christian identity «is not rigid or clearly delimited,» but can be considered «in a certain way liquid.» 

This was stated this Sunday by the Archbishop of Paderborn, Udo Markus Bentz, during his speech at the Salzburg University Weeks, where he also warned about a proximity that, he claims, exists between certain sectors of the Catholic Church and political currents he described as «identitarian and authoritarian.»

The statements, reported by KNA, were made during the academic event that closed the meeting held from August 3 to 9 in the Austrian city. 

This year’s edition was precisely dedicated to the concept of identity under the motto «Who we are and who we want to be. Identity: superpower and problem zone.»

A «liquid» Christian identity

Bentz developed his intervention based on what he called a «relational» identity. «My identity as a Christian is not rigid or clearly delimited, but is in a certain way liquid, with an inner core that we hope is firm», he maintained.

For the archbishop, this identity is shaped by different elements that interact with each other. Among them, he placed Christ, the Church and its Tradition, but also the biographical and cultural circumstances of each person and the way others recognize them as Christian.

From this perspective, Bentz linked his approach to synodality. In his view, synodal life should not be limited to discussing certain contents, but also encompasses the way relationships are built within the Church.

The prelate turned to Scripture to explain this conception. He presented Israel as a pilgrim people sustained by God’s faithfulness and pointed out that, in the New Testament, Christ becomes the fundamental point of reference for those who follow him. Christian identity should be understood, as he summarized, as a «relationship with Christ received, narrated and lived.»

Bentz questions a Catholic identity based on delimitation

In the face of secularization, Bentz criticized the search for an identity based on «delimitation,» the «isolation of what is supposedly one’s own» and a mentality focused on preserving acquired positions.

For the archbishop, this way of conceiving ecclesial identity finds «resonance and inspiration» in certain identitarian political movements.

His warning was then directed toward the interior of the Church. Bentz said he was concerned that the «affinity» between these «identitarian and authoritarian» political currents and «certain groups and dynamics in the Catholic Church» would have ceased to constitute a marginal phenomenon.

In his view, this proximity «forms a toxic mixture.»

Against a «frozen» Christian identity

The archbishop also questioned a conception of ecclesial identity that relativizes historical evolution or seeks to «freeze it» at a certain moment. According to him, this approach does not correspond to the orientation assumed by the Church from the Second Vatican Council and during the subsequent decades.

His proposal involves a Christian presence that can affirm its convictions within a plural society without imposing itself on those who do not share them.

Bentz summarized this attitude through a series of contrasts: «Be present without appropriating. Bear witness without compelling. Confess our hope without threatening the freedom of others. Speak without silencing others. Contradict without destroying. Invite without appropriating.»

According to the information released about his intervention, the Archbishop of Paderborn did not identify which specific groups or dynamics within the Catholic Church he considers linked to the «identitarian and authoritarian» currents whose proximity he described as a «toxic mixture.»

Pope Leo XIV expressed in 2015 his intention to "remain in Peru for the rest of my life"

The naturalization file of Robert Francis Prevost, current Pope Leo XIV, preserves the handwritten letter with which he requested Peruvian citizenship in 2015. 

In the document, addressed to then-President Ollanta Humala, Prevost explained his relationship with the country and expressed his intention to “remain in Peru for the rest of my life.”

The documentation, held by the National Superintendency of Migration, has been recalled ahead of the Pontiff’s upcoming visit to Peru. 

The file contains the procedure Prevost followed to obtain Peruvian nationality after years of pastoral activity in the country.

A handwritten letter to request nationality

Prevost began the procedure in February 2015. According to TVPerú Noticias, the file includes a handwritten letter addressed to Humala in which he outlined his career in Peru and formally requested nationality.

In it, he referred to the different stages of his life in the country and recorded his intention to continue residing there.

The procedure included the administrative requirements established for foreigners applying for naturalization, among them an exam on Peruvian history, geography, and culture.

Prevost obtained one of the highest scores among the files reviewed by the archive staff.

“The Pope passed the test. It is one of the highest grades I have seen among all the files we have reviewed,” Héctor Pérez, head of the General Archive of Migration, explained to TVPerú Noticias.

Nationality was granted in September 2015

In mid-September 2015, Migration issued the resolution by which Prevost officially acquired Peruvian nationality.

That same year he was consecrated Bishop of Chiclayo, a diocese in the north of the country that he subsequently governed until his transfer to Rome to assume responsibilities in the Holy See.

Leo XIV currently maintains dual U.S. and Peruvian nationality.

The file remains under the custody of the Central Archive of Migration together with the documentation generated by other naturalization procedures.

The documentation thus preserves the administrative procedure by which Robert Francis Prevost acquired Peruvian citizenship in 2015, ten years before his election as Leo XIV.

Exorcist dismissed by McElroy resumes his ministry of prayer and deliverance from Washington

Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, removed in June by Cardinal Robert McElroy as exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington, will resume his ministry of prayer and deliverance through the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, an organization based within the territory of the archdiocese itself.

The priest has announced a new online deliverance prayer session for September 28, while remaining in canonical good standing in his home diocese of Syracuse, in the state of New York.

The resumption of activity does not mean that Rossetti has regained his role as exorcist of Washington. The priest maintains, however, that he retains priestly faculties in several dioceses and faculties as an exorcist in two others, in addition to assuring that he has the support of his own bishop to continue developing this apostolate.

Rossetti claims to have the support of his bishop

In a video published on July 13, Rossetti explained his situation after the decision made by McElroy. According to him, he maintains “faculties as a priest” in several dioceses and “faculties as an exorcist in a couple of dioceses.”

He also stated that his own bishop —apparently referring to Douglas Lucia, bishop of Syracuse— supports the continuity of his ministry. “My own bishop has encouraged and supported me to continue this ministry,” he said.

Rossetti continues as a priest in canonical good standing in Syracuse. McElroy’s decision specifically affected his role as exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington and did not involve a suspension of his priestly ministry.

The St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, for its part, maintains its headquarters within the territory of the Archdiocese of Washington and is now preparing to publicly resume its activities.

Deliverance prayer and exorcism are not the same

The activity announced by Rossetti must be distinguished from the major exorcism expressly regulated by the Church. The fact that he is once again leading deliverance prayer sessions does not, therefore, mean that he has been reinstated as exorcist of Washington.

Canon 1172 of the Code of Canon Law establishes that no one may legitimately perform exorcisms on possessed persons without having obtained from the local ordinary a “special and express” license. This authorization must be granted specifically to a priest who meets the conditions of piety, knowledge, prudence, and integrity of life required by the Church.

Deliverance prayers have a different scope and consist fundamentally in asking God for the deliverance or healing of a person in the face of certain difficulties or possible spiritual influences. Depending on their nature, this type of prayer is not reserved exclusively to the exorcist.

McElroy removed Rossetti after the controversy over UFOs and demons

McElroy removed Rossetti as exorcist of Washington after the priest published a video addressing the possible existence of extraterrestrials and suggesting that some phenomena attributed to UFOs could actually have a demonic origin.

After the decision became known, Rossetti publicly responded by expressing his obedience to the Church. “I ask forgiveness for any way in which I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church,” he stated on June 3.

The priest later insisted on the need to “remain in the barque” of the Church and described obedience to its teachings as “fundamental.”

McElroy later offered a different explanation regarding the reasons for his decision. The cardinal stated that the removal “had nothing to do with the UFO issue,” but rather with his conception of exorcism as a ministry that traditionally must be exercised in a reserved manner.

“The traditional role of an exorcist is very private,” the cardinal noted, who also described this task as a “sacred” ministry.

Pope Leo XIV recalls in the Angelus that faith is strengthened in weakness: "Jesus does not abandon us"

Pope Leo XIV warned this Sunday against the temptation to trust in oneself in the face of success and to fall into despair when facing difficulties. 

During the Angelus for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Pontiff reflected on the Gospel passage in which Christ walks on the waters and recalled that the disciples had to experience their own weakness in order to truly recognize the presence of God. 

“Jesus does not abandon us,” he affirmed, pointing out that through “prayer, the Sacraments and listening to his Word” the Christian finds in Christ “peace, light and strength” for his journey.

After the Marian prayer, Leo XIV renewed his appeals for peace amid the wars in Sudan and Ukraine. The Pope called for humanitarian corridors for the Sudanese civilian population and an immediate ceasefire, while, in the face of new civilian victims in Ukraine and Russia—including children—he urged both sides to respect humanitarian law and to cease attacks on civilian targets: “War only generates more war.” 

The Pontiff concluded by asking that “the spiral of violence” be stopped and that space be given to diplomacy and dialogue, before addressing young people in particular and inviting them to know and follow the example of saints such as Saint Dominic, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Saint Lawrence and Saint Clare of Assisi.

The Pope’s Words at the Angelus Prayer:

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

Today the Gospel speaks to us of Jesus who, on the Sea of Galilee, reaches the disciples in the midst of a storm, walking on the waters (cf. Mt 14:22-33).

After the miracle of the loaves and fishes (cf. Mt 14:13-21), the Master urges his own to get into the boat and put out to sea, while he withdraws to the mountain, alone, to pray. Yet, far from the shore, they find themselves at the mercy of the wind and have difficulty making headway. After an experience of success, in which they had been protagonists of a prodigious sign, they now find themselves powerless and frightened before the threat of the waves and the contrary wind.

At the end of the night, Jesus comes to meet them on the troubled waters and, frightened, they mistake him for a ghost (v. 26). But he says to them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!” (v. 27). The presence of the Lord changes everything: Peter even manages to take a few steps on the waves toward him; then he becomes frightened, begins to sink, and Jesus saves him. When the Master gets into the boat, the storm calms and then the profession of faith spontaneously rises from the hearts of the disciples: “Truly you are the Son of God” (v. 33).

To reach this point, it was not enough for them to have witnessed a miracle or to have had success before the people: they had to pass through the experience of their own weakness and, in it, recognize the presence of God. Only then could they truly open their eyes and hearts to his nearness, recovering peace even in the midst of the storm.

One day, some time later, Jesus would say to them: “If you have faith and do not doubt […], if you say to this mountain, ‘Move from here and throw yourself into the sea,’ it will be done” (Mt 21:21). And this is precisely what they experienced on the lake: the peace of Christ, who had been on the mountain praying, reached them in the midst of the fury of the waters.

This miracle, therefore, teaches us something important: above all, not to exalt ourselves in the face of success and never to presume on ourselves; and, at the same time, not to despair, even in moments of darkness, when we feel powerless before problems and, despite our efforts, it seems we are going backward instead of forward. In every circumstance, Jesus does not abandon us and, if we humbly welcome him into the boat of our life—with prayer, with the Sacraments, with listening to his Word—we will find in him peace, light and strength for our journey.

May Mary help us to live in this way, with trusting abandonment to God, she who was proclaimed blessed because of her faith (cf. Lk 1:45).

After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters:

I continue to follow with concern the tragic situation in Sudan, especially in the city of El Obeid. While expressing my spiritual closeness to the entire people of the nation, I renew my appeal to the authorities to guarantee humanitarian corridors for the civilian population. At the same time, I urge the international community to support efforts aimed at achieving an immediate ceasefire. Let us pray that the Lord may sustain those who suffer, convert the hearts of those who sow violence, and grant the long-awaited peace.

Painful news continues to arrive of innocent people killed and wounded in Ukraine and in Russia. Tragic episodes follow one after another, indeed multiply, causing ever more civilian victims, including children. I am close to the families of the victims, the wounded, and all those who suffer because of the ongoing conflict. In the face of so much pain, I renew an earnest appeal that humanitarian law be respected and that attacks affecting civilian targets cease on both sides. War only generates more war and causes immense suffering. It is time to stop the spiral of violence and give space to diplomacy and dialogue to open the way to peace.

And now I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries.

I greet in particular the young people of the Santa Maria Maddalena Community of the Diocese of Milan, who have walked the Via Francigena from Siena to Rome; as well as the scouts from Enna, who have held their camp in the Roman Hills, and the young people from Pernumia, Diocese of Padua.

The presence of so many youth groups who choose to dedicate some days of their vacation to formative and friendship activities is a sign of hope; as was also the meeting of the young Franciscans, whom I had the joy of meeting last Thursday in Assisi.

To all of you, boys and girls who are listening to me, I wish to remind you that in these days the liturgical calendar proposes to us some splendid figures of saints, whom I invite you to know better: yesterday, the great Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers; today, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Edith Stein, Carmelite martyred in Auschwitz and co-patroness of Europe; tomorrow, Saint Lawrence, deacon of the Church of Rome; the day after tomorrow, Saint Clare of Assisi, who left a comfortable life to follow Jesus poor and humble, following the example of her fellow citizen Saint Francis. Dear young people, let yourselves be enthused by these exemplary witnesses of the Gospel!

Thank you all for your presence and happy Sunday!

Lluís Bonet, former rector of the Sagrada Familia and promoter of Gaudí's cause, dies at the age of 95

The priest Lluís Bonet Armengol, rector for 25 years of the Sagrada Familia parish in Barcelona and vice-postulator of the cause for the beatification of Antoni Gaudí, passed away this Friday, August 7, at the age of 95, according to the Archdiocese of Barcelona. 

The priest was linked for decades to the basilica and to the promotion of the Christian dimension of the life and work of the Catalan architect.

Bonet served as rector of the Sagrada Familia parish from 1993 to 2018. His connection to the basilica also had a family component: he was the son of architect Lluís Bonet i Garí, a disciple and contemporary of Antoni Gaudí, and brother of Jordi Bonet i Armengol, who for years led the construction works of the basilica.

During the 25 years in which he served as rector, Bonet accompanied a period of significant progress in the construction of the Sagrada Familia and simultaneously developed his work related to Gaudí’s cause.

Vice-postulator of the cause of Antoni Gaudí

In 1998, Lluís Bonet was appointed vice-postulator of the cause for the beatification of Antoni Gaudí, whose process had begun at the diocesan level in 1994.

From this responsibility, he participated in the investigation into the life and faith of the architect and promoted various initiatives aimed at spreading his Christian dimension. Among them is the Gaudí collection, dedicated to compiling testimonies and studies about his life, work, and faith.

The cause has advanced since then to the recognition of the architect’s heroic virtues. In April 2025, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing these virtues, making Gaudí considered venerable by the Church.

His meeting with Leo XIV two months before his death

One of Lluís Bonet’s last public appearances took place precisely on June 10, during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Barcelona on the occasion of the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death.

The priest participated in the Mass celebrated at the Sagrada Familia. 

According to the Archdiocese of Barcelona, at the end of the celebration the Pope approached to greet him and they exchanged a few words.

The celebration was part of the events organized around the centenary of Gaudí and took place in the basilica where Bonet had been rector for a quarter of a century.

He donated his body to science

The Archdiocese of Barcelona has also reported that Lluís Bonet had donated his body to science. For this reason, the funeral will not be held at this time. 

A diocesan and parish celebration in his memory is scheduled for September.

Bishop of Pittsburgh applies Traditionis custodes and ends a traditional Mass: "It was only meant to be temporary"

The Bishop of Pittsburgh, Mark A. Eckman, has decided not to request from Rome the renewal of the permission that allows the celebration of the Traditional Mass at St. Titus Church in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. 

The last celebration according to the Roman Missal of 1962 will take place on the upcoming September 4, ending a liturgical presence that had been maintained for years and forcing the faithful who wish to continue attending the Vetus Ordo to travel about 27 kilometers to another parish.

The decision was communicated by Eckman himself in a letter dated August 7 and addressed to the faithful of Mary, Queen of Saints, the parish to which St. Titus Church belongs. The bishop does not state that Rome has rejected a new extension: it was he who decided not to request it, allowing the currently valid authorization to expire.

The case falls within the application of Traditionis custodes, the motu proprio promulgated by Francis in July 2021 that introduced strong restrictions on celebrations according to the 1962 Missal. Among these is the requirement to obtain authorization from the Holy See to allow such celebrations in parish churches.

A permission that Rome had already extended

Eckman’s own letter allows us to reconstruct the process followed in recent years. In February 2022, his predecessor as head of Pittsburgh, David Zubik, wrote to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to request authorization to maintain the Traditional Mass at St. Titus.

The request included its celebration on the third Sunday of each month —except when it coincided with certain solemnities— and on the first Friday of each month. The Dicastery granted the authorization on April 21, 2022 for a period of two years.

When that deadline approached, Zubik requested an extension. Rome again authorized the celebrations on September 3, 2024, again for two years.

The situation now changes with Eckman, who succeeded Zubik as Bishop of Pittsburgh in 2025. Unlike his predecessor, he has chosen not to request a new extension.

“After consulting with experts in the matter, and after much time dedicated to prayer and discernment, I have decided that I will not request a renewal of the permission to use the Roman Missal of 1962 at Mary, Queen of Saints Parish,” he explains.

The authorization, therefore, does not end after a refusal from Rome to maintain it, but by the ordinary’s decision not to ask that it be extended again.

Eckman maintains that the permission “was only intended to be temporary”

The central argument offered by the bishop is that these authorizations were of a transitional nature.

Eckman notes that when the Dicastery granted the permission, it reminded the diocese that the Missal promulgated by St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II constitutes the “only expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite,” a formulation contained in Traditionis custodes.

The bishop then states that the permission to celebrate according to the previous rite within a parish church “was only intended to be temporary” and maintains that the Holy See’s expectation was that the need for these authorizations would eventually disappear.

According to the explanation given in his letter, the goal would be to lead these faithful toward “the celebration of the post-conciliar rite.”

The faithful will have to travel about 27 kilometers

Eckman acknowledges in the letter itself that his decision will be “difficult” for some faithful who have found “spiritual nourishment” in the celebrations at St. Titus. He also thanks them for their love of the Eucharist, their devotion to the Church, and their desire to worship God.

However, those who wish to continue attending the Traditional Mass will have to do so elsewhere.

The bishop expressly invites them to attend Most Precious Blood of Jesus, a parish located in Pittsburgh and served by priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, where the Traditional liturgy is celebrated daily.

For the faithful who until now attended St. Titus, the proposed alternative involves traveling approximately 27 kilometers. The existence of this second community is precisely one of the circumstances that allows Eckman to suppress the celebrations at St. Titus without the Vetus Ordo disappearing completely from the diocese.

The prelate himself praises in his letter the work carried out there by the Institute of Christ the King and states that its priests celebrate the Traditional liturgy “every day with beauty, grace, and in conformity with all the norms of the Church.”

Full letter from Bishop Mark Eckman

August 7, 2026

Mary, Queen of Saints Parish
Attention: Reverend John B. Gizler III
115 Trinity Drive
Aliquippa, PA 15001

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Throughout my ministry as your bishop, I have sought to foster the unity of our local Church and to help us all grow ever more deeply in our love for the Eucharist and the sacred liturgy. As you know, on July 16, 2021, Pope Francis promulgated the Apostolic Letter motu proprio Traditionis custodes, whose norms regulate the use of the Roman Missal of 1962. Among other things, Traditionis custodes requires permission from the Holy See to use the former Roman Missal for the celebration of Mass in parish churches.

In February 2022, my predecessor, Bishop David A. Zubik, wrote to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and requested permission to use the Roman Missal of 1962 at St. Titus Church in Mary, Queen of Saints Parish on the third Sunday of each month, excluding the dates of Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost, as well as the first Friday of each month. On April 21, 2022, the Congregation granted that permission; however, the permission was granted only for a limited time: a period of two years. Subsequently, Bishop Zubik requested an extension of the permission, which was granted on September 3, 2024 for an additional period of two years.

In granting the permission, the Dicastery reminded us that the current Roman Missal promulgated by Popes St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II is the only expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite and that, therefore, the faithful must grow in their appreciation for it. To this end, the permission to celebrate according to the former rite in a parish church was only intended to be temporary. The expectation of the Holy See has been that the continued need for the permission would eventually come to an end and that the faithful would be led toward the celebration of the post-conciliar rite.

With all this in mind, after consulting with experts in the matter and after dedicating much time to prayer and discernment, I have decided that I will not request a renewal of the permission to use the Roman Missal of 1962 at Mary, Queen of Saints Parish. Instead, I will allow the current permission to expire when the granted period of time ends. Therefore, the last Mass celebrated according to the former rite at St. Titus Church will take place on Friday, September 4, 2026.

If after that time some faithful still wish to worship the Lord according to the Roman Missal of 1962, I would like to invite and encourage them to attend Most Precious Blood of Jesus Parish. There, under the direction of their pastor, Canon William Avis, he and his fellow priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest celebrate the former liturgy every day with beauty, grace, and in conformity with all the norms of the Church.

I know that this decision will be difficult for some faithful who have found spiritual nourishment in these celebrations. I am sincerely grateful for your love of the Eucharist, your devotion to the Church, and your desire to worship God faithfully. I hope that, as we continue walking together in communion with the Church, we will all continue to grow in faith, charity, and unity. Be assured of my prayers for you and for the faithful of Mary, Queen of Saints Parish.

Your brother in Christ,

Mark A. Eckman
Bishop of Pittsburgh

2267: the file awaiting Leo XIV

Eight years have passed since the Holy See rewrote number 2267 of the Catechism, and eight years later the problem created by that rescript remains intact, with an aggravating factor: it is no longer only Francis’s problem. 

Leo XIV has made the formula his own this very spring—in a return flight from Africa, before DePaul University, before the OSCE—and precisely for that reason this article is addressed to him. 

Not to ask him to rehabilitate any gallows, which no one longs for, but to ask him for what his predecessor never granted: to say what the word means on which the doctrinal credibility of the Church has been mortgaged. 

As long as “inadmissible” remains undefined, the entire Church is left at the mercy of the horses: those of others and, worse still, its own.

The facts are known and it is worth restating them with precision. 

On 2 August 2018 a rescript was published, approved by Francis in an audience of 11 May and signed on 1 August by Cardinal Ladaria, which replaced the 1997 text—John Paul II’s, which admitted capital punishment only as a last defensive resort against an unjust aggressor, in cases he judged already extremely rare, perhaps nonexistent—with a new teaching: the death penalty “is inadmissible, because it attacks the inviolability and dignity of the person,” with an express commitment to universal abolition. 

The only source cited was a speech by Francis himself, from October 2017, in which he had stated that capital punishment is “in itself contrary to the Gospel.” An accompanying letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith certified that the new formula “is not in contradiction with previous teachings of the Magisterium.” 

The certification was necessary because appearances suggested otherwise: from the profession of faith imposed on the Waldensians in 1208 to Pius XII in 1952, passing through the Roman Catechism of Trent, the lawfulness in principle had been the constant teaching of popes, councils, and doctors.

The reaction did not come from the hostile press but from academia. 

On 15 August 2018, forty-five theologians, philosophers, and clerics published in First Things an appeal to the cardinals asking them to advise the Pope to withdraw the revision, because its appearance of contradiction with Scripture and traditional teaching was causing scandal; within days more than thirty additional signatures were added. 

On the other side, Monsignor Paglia, president of the Academy for Life, offered the press the maximalist reading: with the new text “it has become clear that there are no exceptions.” 

Between these two poles ambiguity flourished: some read a revisable prudential judgment, others a declaration of intrinsic malice, and moralists pointed out that “inadmissible” is not a defined term in moral theology, so each understood what they wished. Eight years later, the dispersion persists. A catechism exists to settle disputes; this number founds them.

The cost is not academic. 

In 2004, Cardinal Ratzinger had drawn a clear boundary for the American bishops: among Catholics there is legitimate diversity of opinion on war and capital punishment; on abortion and euthanasia, none. That boundary protected what is essential by distinguishing it from what is debatable. 

The 2267 of 2018 erased it, and with it erased something more: it established the precedent that a centuries-old teaching can be reversed by a speech, a rescript, and a certificate of non-contradiction. Whoever wishes to apply the same template tomorrow to any other dossier already knows the way. 

One need not long for the executioner—nobody here does—to see that the teaching credibility of the Church is not lost by parcels: if the constant magisterium could have erred in this, the question of why it would not have erred in that is served, free of charge, to all its adversaries, internal and external.

Why Leo XIV? 

First, because he has assumed the formula. On 23 April, returning from Equatorial Guinea, he equated them by juxtaposition: “I condemn murder. I condemn the death penalty.” 

The next day, in his video message to DePaul for the fifteenth anniversary of abolition in Illinois, he cited the current 2267 and reproduced even its architecture: the dignity that is not lost even after the gravest crimes, and also the effective prisons that make the penalty unnecessary; the same mixture of essence and circumstance that constitutes the problem. 

In May, before the OSCE, he excluded capital punishment alongside torture and degrading treatment, while the federal government of his country announces that it is strengthening the federal death penalty. 

Second, because he himself has formulated the distinction that the current text blurs: in 2023, as bishop of Chiclayo, he made his own Bernardin’s “consistent ethic of life,” but precisely collecting the warning of the cardinal of Chicago: each life issue has its own moral character, and fusing them without attending to their relative moral importance departs from Catholic teaching. Exactly. 

We ask him to apply his own warning to number 2267. And third, because few popes have arrived better equipped for the task: doctor in canon law, and bearer by election of a name that refers to the author of Aeterni Patris, the encyclical that made Saint Thomas the common teacher of the Church; the same Thomas who taught the lawfulness of capital punishment in the Summa. 

The tools are on his table.

To remedy does not require, in its minimum degree, restoring the 1997 text; it requires answering a single question, and the Church has ordinary instruments for this: a responsum ad dubium from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The dubium is simple: does “inadmissible” enunciate an intrinsic malice or a prudential judgment on present circumstances? 

If the former, let it be explained how it is reconciled with the Waldensian profession, with Trent, and with Pius XII, or let the rupture be admitted and its consequences borne. If the latter, let 2267 be reformulated to say what it means: the Church can commit itself to abolition, with all the prudential force in the world, without mortgaging its past or grounding the petition in a dignity that, if it were the foundation, it was also in 1208. 

None of this is unprecedented: 2267 itself was revised in 1997 after Evangelium vitae—catechetical texts are revisable by definition—and if the obstacle is that Fratelli tutti incorporated the formula in 2020, that is precisely the reason why only a Pope can do it.

Eight years, two pontificates, one word undefined. 

We do not ask Leo XIV to defend the gallows. 

We ask him to define a term. 

For that, exactly, a Pope exists.

Parish­ion­ers applaud after priest admits abuse probe

A FORMER Christian Brother turned-priest got a standing ovation after he took to the pulpit to announce he is under active Garda investigation for alleged sexual abuse, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Plain-clothes detectives were in the church when the priest made the shock announcement, prompting his diocesan office to cut the live feed from the Mass that was being broadcast online.

Despite admitting that he was under investigation, the priest appeared to receive resounding support from most of his congregation, some of whom approached him after the service and offered to raise funds to help pay his legal costs.

The revelation comes as senior sources familiar with several abuse investigations involving current or former members of the order warned that some Christian Brothers’ classrooms are turning into ‘crime scenes’ as multiple victims come forward after an initial complaint is made against an alleged abuser. 

It also comes as the order faces mounting criticism for what a Circuit Court judge described as a ‘morally bankrupt’ legal strategy to shield its vast assets and wear down abuse survivors through legal attrition.

The Christian Brothers operate as an unincorporated association, meaning the order itself is not a distinct corporate entity and cannot be sued directly.

Last week, the High Court ordered that 341 former members of the order be served with a summons by way of a newspaper advertisement, as part of a claim for damages for child sexual assault and rape.

It is not alleged that the men whose names were published in a national newspaper this week were guilty of sexual abuse.

The MoS has learned at least 35 more victims of alleged abuse will also pursue the Christian Brothers through similar newspaper ads unless the order changes its legal strategy.

The Government this weekend came under pressure to back a new law proposed by Labour leader Ivana Bacik that would ‘unblock’ the legal loophole.

The cases being taken by the 35 victims involve at least four former Christian Brothers, who have all already been before the courts.

The order’s legal strategy – and the advanced age of many of the alleged abusers – means investigations are turning into a race against time for victims and gardaí as many alleged perpetrators are already dead before a case has a chance to get to court. 

A senior source familiar with the investigations said many cases ‘spiral’ after initial complaints are made as more victims come forward, which is placing a significant ‘resource drain’ on Garda divisional protective services units. 

In the case of the Christian Brother-turned-priest, almost two dozen victims have made statements to gardaí, and the investigation was this weekend described as being at an ‘advanced stage’.

The priest made his announcement from the pulpit after he was informed by gardaí about their active investigation and told by Church authorities that he would have to step aside pending the outcome. 

Undercover detectives were in the church when he made the announcement as they thought he could say something ‘incriminating’. 

A source told the MoS: ‘He got a standing round of applause and they lined up after Mass to shake his hand and wish him well and offered to raise funds to pay for his legal costs. The diocesan office was up in arms. They didn’t want him saying Mass. He went rogue so they turned off the live-stream feed.’

Another source said Christian Brother classrooms are increasingly becoming the ‘scene of the crime’.

They told the MoS: ‘Gardaí get the roll books to identify potential witnesses who are approached. They inevitably become victims too. A lot of victims in these cases suppress their memories and probably never would have otherwise come forward. Some go on to have chronic addiction issues and feel because of their life choices that they won’t be believed. A lot of victims have disclosed abuse to someone in the past but got the wrong reaction. There are victims who tried to tell their parents and received beatings for suggesting such a thing.’

Gardaí are also facing a race against time to get justice for victims.

Following the establishment of the Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sex Abuse in Schools last year, one Garda division alone received more than 60 referrals.

In this division, a third of the cases related to a suspect who has since died.

A source noted in these cases: ‘There is no more gardaí can do for them at that point. Imagine carrying the trauma for so long and finally trust enough in the system to engage? It is not easy for men in their mid and later life to come in, open up, tell their story and ultimately the suspect is dead.’

Legal teams representing victims are also being hindered by the Christian Brothers’ controversial legal strategy to block court actions. The solicitor representing some of the 35 victims of alleged abuse this week described the order’s actions as ‘ shocking, appalling, totally unnecessary and completely avoidable’.

However, Philip Treacy of Coleman Legal said more ads, similar to the one published this week publicly naming 341 former members of the order, will be placed in the coming months.

He told the MoS: ‘There will be three applications made in the High Court in November looking for an order to publish and once we get the order we will publish again. There will be 31 applications at some stage next year. Assuming we get the order, we will publish in exactly the same way,’ he said.

‘We have approximately 35 live actions against the Christian Brothers, and as long as they do this [refuse to appoint a nominee and to provide details of the whereabouts of former Christian Brothers], if they choose not to put forward a nominee, we will have to keep doing this.’

Mr Treacy stressed this is not a ‘tactical’ approach by his firm.

He added: ‘We have to in accordance with the law. It is in the best interests of our clients. This is what you have to do because, if you pursue an unincorporated body without naming everybody, then the one person that you do name is entitled to say, “hold on, I’m only one per cent of these guys” or “there is another 400 and you’re only pursuing me so it’s your loss that you did not pursue everybody else”.

The solicitor also questioned why the Christian Brothers are taking such measures to hinder the legal process.

Mr Treacy said: ‘It is so easy for someone to act as a nominee and the other religious orders do this. You are still fully entitled to put in the strongest defence that you can imagine. I believe it is being done to dissuade and to thwart victims of sexual abuse from either starting a case or continuing with a case, but ultimately that’s just my opinion. If a plaintiff doesn’t do this, they’ll either low ball you or use it completely against you to defeat you.’

The Labour Party had accused some religious orders of using ‘lawfare’ against people who were abused in their care.

The party has since put forward a Private Members’ Bill to close these loopholes which, if imple mented, would mean abuse victims would no longer have to sue each individual member of an organisation to get compensation.

‘Dissuade and thwart victims of sexual abuse’

The Government has stalled the proposed new legislation for six months to allow the Attorney General to review the proposed new laws.

But in response to queries from the MoS, a Labour spokesman stressed: ‘This legislation is too important to delay any further than is absolutely necessary.’ Last month, 90-year-old former Christian Brother Liam Coughlan was told he will most likely die in prison after he was convicted of 31 charges of indecently assaulting nine school boys during the 1980s at St Patrick’s Christian Brothers primary school in Portarlington, Co. Laois.  

While imposing a five year sentence against Coughlan on July 24, the president of the Circuit Court, Judge Keenan Johnson, criticised the Christian Brothers order for the ‘grossly unfair’ manner in which they had dealt with civil cases.

Judge Johnson said at the time: ‘By his actions, the accused has besmirched the reputation of the entire Christian Brother community, which does a gross disservice to the very many dedicated brothers who devoted their lives to giving a good all-round education to their students.’

The judge added: ‘The reputation of the Christian Brothers has been further damaged by the failure of the congregation to designate a nominee to accept service of civil proceedings brought by victims of abuse.

‘That approach has the effect of frustrating the claims of victims as proceedings have to be served on each individual member and former member of the congregations, which is a monumental task that appears to have been adopted to protect the assets of the congregation and wear down claimants through attrition.

‘That approach strikes me as morally bankrupt and grossly unfair not only to the victims but also to the many, many brothers who are totally innocent and blameless of any wrong doing.’

The Christian Brothers did not respond to our queries this week.

Cardinal Dziwisz denies before a court having known about the abuse suffered by a former altar boy in Poland

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, who served for 27 years as personal secretary to Saint John Paul II and later as Archbishop of Krakow, testified last Monday, August 3, as a witness before the Regional Court of Krakow in the civil proceedings initiated by Janusz Szymik, 54, who suffered sexual abuse as a minor while serving as an altar boy between 1984 and 1989 by priest Jan Wodniak. 

Szymik is claiming 20 million zlotys, approximately 4.6 million euros, from the Archdiocese of Krakow and the parish where the incidents occurred.

Dziwisz, 87, denied having knowledge of the abuse during the years it took place and maintained that he was then in the Vatican serving John Paul II and had no governing responsibilities over the Archdiocese of Krakow. 

The cardinal appears solely as a witness: he is not accused nor listed as a defendant in the proceedings.

The abuse continued for five years

The incidents occurred at the parish of Międzybrodzie Bialskie, in southern Poland. At that time it belonged to the Archdiocese of Krakow; following an ecclesiastical reorganization in 1992 it became part of the Diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec.

This circumstance explains why the victim has pursued proceedings against various Church institutions connected to the case.

Wodniak acknowledged during the canonical proceedings having had sexual contact with the minor and received ecclesiastical sanctions. Szymik has for years publicly recounted the abuse he suffered and demanded accountability for what happened.

The current lawsuit seeks to determine the possible civil liability of the Archdiocese of Krakow and the parish during the period when the incidents occurred.

Dziwisz: “I had no knowledge of it”

Much of the cardinal’s questioning focused on establishing what he knew about Wodniak and when he might have become aware of the allegations.

Dziwisz explained that he knew the priest, as he knew many other members of the Krakow clergy, from his time alongside then-Archbishop Karol Wojtyła. He denied, however, that there had been a personal or friendly relationship between them.

When the abuse reported by Szymik occurred, between 1984 and 1989, Dziwisz was living in Rome as personal secretary to John Paul II. He remained with the pontiff from his election in 1978 until his death in 2005.

His situation changed later, when Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Krakow. Dziwisz governed the archdiocese between 2005 and 2016, a period on which he was also questioned.

The cardinal acknowledged having received during those years an “unpleasant” letter that mentioned Wodniak and other priests, although he claimed not to remember Szymik’s name appearing in it.

Photographs and documents discussed during the interrogation

The plaintiff’s lawyers presented several old photographs during the testimony which, according to their interpretation, would place Dziwisz and Wodniak together during a vacation.

The cardinal did not confirm that interpretation. He noted that, after so many years, he could not identify all the people appearing in the images and maintained that he had not had a friendly relationship with Wodniak.

The name of priest Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, who died in 2024 and was known in Poland for his reports on abuse and for years demanding greater transparency in the Church, also came up during the interrogation.

Isakowicz-Zaleski maintained that he had personally delivered documentation to Dziwisz on cases of abuse committed by priests. The plaintiff’s side considers that these documents may be relevant to establishing when the cardinal became aware of certain allegations.

Dziwisz has denied remembering having received that documentation and has maintained that there is no record of its receipt in the curia’s registers. It will be up to the court to assess the versions and evidence presented by the parties.

The cardinal had missed two summonses

Last Monday’s testimony had generated expectation in Poland because Dziwisz had not appeared at two previous summonses.

His defense cited, among other reasons, his age, issues related to his health, and a prolonged stay in Rome during July. The cardinal even requested that his testimony be dispensed with, considering that he lacked relevant information about the facts.

He finally appeared before the Regional Court of Krakow on August 3 and gave testimony for approximately one hour.

After hearing his explanations, Szymik reacted harshly and publicly accused the cardinal of lying. This is the plaintiff’s assessment of the testimony, while it will be up to the court to determine the credibility and relevance of the statements and documents incorporated into the proceedings.

Szymik already received about 93,000 euros in another proceeding

The current trial is not the first initiated by Szymik to claim compensation for the abuse suffered.

In January 2025 he obtained a favorable ruling against the Diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec, to which the parish where the incidents occurred now belongs. The court then ordered payment of 400,000 zlotys, approximately 93,000 euros.

Now Szymik is claiming a much higher amount—about 4.6 million euros—from the Archdiocese of Krakow and the parish itself. The inclusion of Krakow is due to the fact that, during the years when the abuse occurred, the territory was under the jurisdiction of that archdiocese.

The proceedings remain open and there is still no ruling on this new claim.

The Vatican previously examined Dziwisz’s conduct

The handling of abuse cases during Dziwisz’s time as Archbishop of Krakow had already been examined by the Holy See.

In 2021, the Vatican commissioned Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop Emeritus of Genoa, to gather information on various allegations regarding Dziwisz’s conduct during the years he governed the archdiocese.

In 2022, after reviewing the documentation collected, the Holy See stated that the analysis had not identified elements that would justify new actions against the cardinal for his handling of the cases examined.

The ecclesiastical investigation must be distinguished from the proceedings currently taking place in Krakow. 

Dziwisz is not the defendant in this trial, but one of its witnesses, and the court must determine whether civil liability should be attributed to the Archdiocese of Krakow and the parish for the abuse suffered by Szymik between 1984 and 1989.

Chris­tian Broth­ers trans­ferred own­er­ship of two prop­er­ties before trial of pae­do­phile

THE Christian Brothers transferred properties to a trust and a separate registered charity before the high-profile trial of convicted abuser Liam Coughlan.

The first of these transactions was done on May 16 last year when the ownership of land at Clonturk, Coolock, in north Dublin, was transferred into a company called Christian Brothers CLG.

Until then, the registered owners of the property were Denis Gleeson, Michael Reynolds, David Bonaventure Gibson and John Kevin Mullan, who are all senior members of the religious order.

Ten months later, in March of this year, playing fields at Warren House, Dublin Road, Sutton, also in north Dublin, were transferred into a trust called the Edmund Rice School Trust CLG.

A month later, more land at Miltonsfields, in a townland near Swords in north Dublin, was transferred into a trust called Edmund Rice Trust CLG.

Until then, the registered owners of both of these properties were again listed as Denis Gleeson, Michael Reynolds, David Bonaventure Gibson and John Kevin Mullan.

Company records show that the Christian Brothers are still a very wealthy religious order.

According to the most recently available annual financial statements lodged with the Companies Registration Office, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust had net assets of €140.5million at the end of August 2025 and €1.55million in cash.

A separate company called the Christian Brothers CLG – which is a registered charity – received donations worth €3.18million between December 31, 2024, and the end of December 2025.

The same firm also received €1.81million from other unnamed sources.

However, during the same period it recorded a €7.01million deficit because, although the company had a gross income of €5.36million, its liabilities stood at €8.39million, with gross expenditure of €12.38 million. 

Last May Taoiseach Micheál Martin asked Pope Leo, during his meeting with the pontiff at the Vatican, to put pressure on religious orders in Ireland to come forward with redress for survivors of sexual abuse.

‘I asked that every effort would be made to get the religious orders to engage proactively on the matter of redress,’ Mr Martin said after the discussion in the Pope’s private library.

The Taoiseach told the pontiff the Government had established a commission of inquiry into day schools and boarding schools, but some religious orders had yet to engage on the issue.

Mr Martin said ‘some orders have come forward, but a lot of orders haven’t, and that assets are being sold, and that we want those assets allocated in revenues from them to redress’.

Twenty-two letters about Rupnik reveal accusations that had been in writing since the year 2000

Twenty-two women from the Loyola Community left written testimonies in the year 2000 about alleged spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuses attributed to Marko Ivan Rupnik. 

The letters, whose existence had not been made public until now, add a new piece to a case that remains pending resolution in the Vatican and show that numerous members of the community had already put their accusations in writing more than two decades before the scandal became public.

According to OSV News, the letters were written during Easter of the year 2000 at the instruction of Ivanka Hosta, then superior of the Loyola Community, and were addressed to Rupnik himself. The documents were preserved in the community’s archives, now under the custody of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana, in Slovenia.

The Vatican confirmed on July 22 that the canonical criminal trial remains open and described as “completely unfounded” the reports of an alleged acquittal of the former Jesuit. The representative of some of the complainants had expressed her dissatisfaction just one day earlier over the limited information received about the progress of the proceedings.

Twenty-two testimonies among about 40 religious sisters

Fabrizia Raguso, a former member of the Loyola Community and currently a professor of Psychology at the Catholic University of Portugal, is the only woman connected to these letters who has agreed to be publicly identified.

Raguso explained to OSV News that about 40 members of the community were instructed to write to Rupnik on the occasion of the Jubilee of the year 2000. Of them, 22 reportedly described different forms of abuse.

“During Easter of the year 2000, Ivanka Hosta, superior of the Loyola Community, forced us to write a letter to Marko Rupnik in which we described our relationship with him, what he had done to us, and then we had to forgive him,” she stated.

According to Raguso, the superior justified the request by the need to seek reconciliation with Rupnik on the occasion of the Jubilee. The former religious sister says she does not know whether the letters ultimately reached the priest.

The documents reportedly describe alleged situations of manipulation, abuse of authority, pressure, and physical and sexual aggression. Sources familiar with their content told the outlet that several women also described the alleged use of spiritual direction and religious language to pressure them into acts presented as expressions of purity or the will of God.

Some testimonies further claim that Rupnik allegedly used previous experiences of abuse suffered by some of the women to perpetrate new forms of abuse against them. Raguso, for her part, claims to have been a victim of spiritual abuse, but not sexual abuse.

Testimonies written long before the case became public

The date of the letters is one of the most significant elements of the revelation. The documents were written 22 years before the accusations against Rupnik became public at the end of 2022.

Complaints about his behavior date back even further. In the early 1990s, reports had already reached superiors of the Society of Jesus and the then Archbishop of Ljubljana, Alojzij Šuštar. Rupnik was removed from the Loyola Community in 1993 and later moved to Rome, where he founded the Aletti Center.

His artistic career, however, continued to grow. When the letters were written in 2000, Rupnik had already created the mosaics for the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vatican Apostolic Palace. In the following years, he received commissions for some of the main Catholic churches and shrines in the world, including Lourdes and Fátima, the Basilica of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina in San Giovanni Rotondo, the National Shrine of Saint John Paul II in Washington, and the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid.

The timeline thus raises a question that goes beyond the specific content of the new letters: for years, complaints and testimonies about the priest’s conduct existed while his prestige and presence in top-level Church institutions continued to grow.

Nine of the 22 testified again in 2021

The letters were not entirely disconnected from later investigations. Nine of the 22 women who reportedly described abuses in 2000 gave testimony in a preliminary investigation commissioned by the Jesuits in 2021 and conducted by an external person outside the Society of Jesus.

That investigation concluded in January 2022, finding the accusations received to be substantiated, according to the order itself.

By then, Rupnik had already been the subject of another proceeding for an offense related to the sacrament of Penance. In 2018, the Jesuits received an accusation that he had sacramentally absolved a woman after committing a sin against the sixth commandment with her.

The preliminary investigation found the complaint credible, and the matter was referred to the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Rupnik was found guilty of the offense of absolving an accomplice and was excommunicated in 2020. The excommunication was later lifted after his repentance was confirmed.

The subsequent course of the case has been marked by successive decisions and long periods of limited information. In October 2022, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith considered the facts reported by former members of the Loyola Community to be time-barred. A year later, Pope Francis decided to lift the statute of limitations to allow Rupnik to be tried.

Are the letters part of the case file?

The revelation now raises a specific question: whether these 22 letters are being examined by the tribunal judging Rupnik.

When it confirmed in July that the process remained open, the Holy See explained that the judges were studying documentation from dioceses, the Society of Jesus, the parties involved, and other sources. However, the Vatican has not made public an inventory of the evidence included in the case file.

Sources close to the case consulted by OSV News presume that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is aware of the existence of the letters, but there is no official confirmation yet that the 22 documents form part of the proceedings being examined by the judges.

The issue is not minor. Nine of the authors later testified in the 2021 investigation, and the accounts contained in the letters reportedly show similarities with accusations that other women, including Gloria Branciani, have publicly made against Rupnik.

Twenty-six years later

Rupnik was expelled from the Society of Jesus in 2023 after refusing to comply with the restrictions imposed by his superiors regarding the accusations of sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse. The priest has denied committing abuse, and the canonical tribunal must determine his responsibility regarding the accusations submitted to trial.

As of August 6, 2026, he continues to appear on the website of the Aletti Center as president of the Atelier of Theology.

The 22 letters now known force, in any case, an expansion of the temporal perspective of the scandal. These are not testimonies reconstructed only after the case gained public notoriety: dozens of women were asked to write about their relationship with Rupnik in 2000, and 22 of them reportedly recorded alleged abuses at that time.

The sentence must establish the facts and the corresponding responsibilities. But, regardless of its outcome, a question remains that also affects the functioning of Church institutions: how complaints and testimonies of this gravity could accumulate for decades while Rupnik developed one of the most relevant and well-connected artistic careers in the contemporary Church.