Jesuit artist has ministry cut; Vatican doesn’t prosecute

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is under pressure to explain why it didn’t prosecute a famous Jesuit artist and merely let his order restrict the priest’s ministry following allegations that he abused his authority over adult women. Mosaics by the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik decorate the basilica at Lourdes, the Vatican’s own chapel and churches around the globe. The Jesuits announced in a statement made public this week that the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith had received a complaint against Rupnik last year but determined the statute of limitations had expired. The Jesuits didn’t specify the nature of the allegations but continued forbidding him from hearing confession or giving spiritual direction.