Jesuit case underscores secrecy, leniency for abuse of women

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Revelations that the Vatican let a famous Jesuit priest off the hook twice for abusing his authority over adult women has exposed two main weaknesses in the Holy See’s abuse policies. One is that sexual and spiritual misconduct against adult women is rarely if ever punished. The other is that secrecy still reigns supreme, especially when powerful priests are involved. The Jesuit order to which Pope Francis belongs was forced to admit Wednesday that its initial communications about a priest who is an internationally recognized religious artist were less-than complete. It turns out the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik had an earlier conviction for one of the gravest crimes in the church’s in-house canon law.