Rupnik Case: De Donatis didn't understand. The sentences have already been issued.

The press release of Cardinal Angelo De Donatis

🇮🇹 Rupnik Case: il Vicario De Donatis “non si può trasformare una denuncia in reato”

Yesterday, Thursday 22 December 2022, the Holy Father briefly stopped Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, his Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, at the end of his address to the Roman Curia. At that brief juncture he requested that the Vicariate take a position on the Rupnik Case. 

The Cardinal said: “Until now, Fr. Rupnik had provided numerous and precious services of a ministerial character to the Church of Rome: In particular, the activity of preaching retreats and exercises, above all to the Roman clergy, and the artistic activity that led him, among other things, to decorate the Chapel of the Roman Major Seminary, stand out among the many that have marked his regular and stable collaboration, which began many years ago”. 

De Donatis then attacks the press: “Faced with this disconcerting communication – especially from the media – which disorients the People of God, the whole Diocese is experiencing these hours with concern and dismay, aware of the extreme delicacy of the situation, which – it must be reiterated – has been widely dealt with in judicial venues that fall entirely outside the competence of the Cardinal Vicar, and which is now managed independently by the legitimate Superiors of Fr. Rupnik”. 

These are super-guaranteed statements. Those of Vicar De Donatis clearly sound like Father Rupnik’s defence arguments. “The judgments that we see spread by many with particular vehemence do not seem to manifest either an evangelical criterion for the search for truth, or a basic criterion on which every state of law is founded: a verbis legis non est recedendum“, said De Donatis. The Pope’s Vicar, however, has forgotten that we are not talking here about accusations but about sentences. We are not in an investigative phase, we are looking at decided facts. Long afterwards. A long time later, precisely because De Donatis collaborated to maintain silence and secrecy. 

A lie clearly emerges in the communiqué: “The Diocese of Rome, which until very recent times was not aware of the problems raised, cannot enter into the merits of the decisions taken by others, but ensures, also in the name of her Bishop, all necessary support for the auspicable positive resolution of the case, one that should heal the wounds inflicted on people and on the ecclesial body”. 

From the Jesuit Curia in Borgo Santo Spirito, a great deal of resentment arose towards Cardinal De Donatis, who had been made aware of the ‘restrictions’ on Marko Ivan Rupnik in no less than two missives.

L.M

Silere non possum

STATEMENT BY CARDINAL ANGELO DE DONATIS

The Diocese of Rome, faithful to her mission of presiding in charity, comforted by the discernment of her Supreme Pastor, feels it is her duty to pronounce herself on a case, now full-blown, of accusation in the media against a cleric, Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik S.J., member of the Society of Jesus – a Religious Institute of Pontifical Right – made blameful for heavy abuses of various kinds, protracted over time, to the detriment of various people, starting in the early 1990s, in Slovenia and Italy.

The current pronouncement of the Vicariate of Rome must be understood to be respectful of the competences and decisions of Fr. Rupnik’s legitimate Superiors, as well as the determinations of all the Authorities [It. Istanze] that have dealt with his case, especially in recent months, in particular those of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Indeed, the cleric has until now had a pastoral relationship with the Diocese of Rome on various levels, but he is not in a position of hierarchical submission to the Cardinal Vicar at a disciplinary and eventually penal level.

Until now, Fr. Rupnik had provided numerous and precious services of a ministerial character to the Church of Rome: In particular, the activity of preaching retreats and exercises, above all to the Roman clergy, and the artistic activity that led him, among other things, to decorate the Chapel of the Roman Major Seminary, stand out among the many that have marked his regular and stable collaboration, which began many years ago.

Faced with this disconcerting communication – especially from the media – which disorients the People of God, the whole Diocese is experiencing these hours with concern and dismay, aware of the extreme delicacy of the situation, which – it must be reiterated – has been widely dealt with in judicial venues that fall entirely outside the competence of the Cardinal Vicar, and which is now managed independently by the legitimate Superiors of Fr. Rupnik, as was communicated to us on 16 December [of this year, 2022], Prot. DIR-SOLI 22/006, signed by the DIR Delegate, Johan Verschueren S.J.

The Diocese of Rome, which until very recent times was not aware of the problems raised, cannot enter into the merits of the decisions taken by others, but ensures, also in the name of her Bishop, all necessary support for the auspicable positive resolution of the case, one that should heal the wounds inflicted on people and on the ecclesial body, leading as far as possible to shed full light and truth on what happened: that truth, which alone sets us free (Jn 8:32).

It is the duty of the Church to apply the criteria of truth, which are those of God, with which He looks upon us and judges us. She has two inalienable mandates which are also duties at the same time: to be close to those who suffer and to implement the criteria of truth and justice taken from the Gospel. In the case that is shaking her, it is good to proceed according to a certain path: We ministers of Christ cannot be less [of a] guarantor [of rights] and [less] charitable than a secular state, transforming de plano an accusation into a criminal conviction. The judgments that we see spread by many with particular vehemence do not seem to manifest either an evangelical criterion for the search for truth, or a basic criterion on which every state of law is founded: a verbis legis non est recedendum. [“From the words of the law there may be no departure.”]

The Church that is in Rome at this moment considers it primary and fundamental to welcome with profound respect the pain and suffering of all the people involved in this affair, especially in this liturgical season of the year which calls everyone to recognize Christ the Savior as the only one able to heal the wounds of man’s heart.

In particular, the Diocese of Rome assures all necessary collaboration to the Society of Jesus and to the Higher Authorities for the implementation of the Decree Prot. DIR-SOLI 22/005 of 16 December last, signed by the DIR Delegate, Fr. Johan Verschueren S.J. , in terms of canon law. Among other things, this will probably involve a series of measures with respect to the offices canonically erected under the diocese – the only ones directly subject to the authority of the Cardinal Vicar – with which Fr. Rupnik is still invested, in particular that of Rector of the Church of St. Philip Neri all’Esquilino and Member of the Diocesan Commission for Sacred Art and Cultural Heritage.

The Diocese of Rome is also aware of her duty to reflect and possibly take measures with respect to an activity that has already been started for many years by Fr. Rupnik and his collaborators also in our diocesan purview: it is the well-known Centro Aletti, which began in the early 1990s, then developed and grew under the authority of the Society of Jesus and finally became, on 5 June 2019 (cf. Decree Prot. n. 349/19), Public Association of the Faithful of the Diocese of Rome, of which Dr. Maria Campatelli is currently the Director.

We entrust all to the mercy of the Lord and to the prudent discernment of those who are called to make decisions about the people involved.

Angelo Card. De Donatis