Canon Law currently lacks a specific provision for spiritual abuse, a form of exploitation that experts say has proliferated in recent decades
Newsroom (15/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) A Vatican working group tasked with defining and classifying spiritual abuse as a crime under Canon Law is advancing steadily, with its leadership confirmed despite a recent departmental transfer, ensuring continuity in addressing a growing concern within the Church.
Pope Francis authorized the group’s formation in November 2024, assigning the project jointly to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, under the chairmanship of the latter. Italian Archbishop Filippo Iannone, then prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, was appointed president.
The group’s momentum faced potential disruption last month when Pope Leo XIV named Iannone as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, effectively replacing himself in that role upon his election. This left the working group temporarily leaderless.
In a communiqué released Tuesday, Argentine Cardinal Víctor Fernández, prefect of the DDF, announced that the group has been “working fruitfully” and requested Iannone’s confirmation as head despite the transfer. Pope Leo approved the request during an Oct. 10 audience with Fernández, allowing the panel to proceed without interruption.
The appointment of Iannone—a fellow canonist involved in Pope Francis’s curial reforms—has been viewed by observers as a gesture of continuity in Vatican restructuring. Some interpret it as implicit support for the spiritual abuse initiative, which seeks to fill a longstanding gap in Church law.
The timing underscores the issue’s urgency. Fernández’s request came one day after a five-judge panel was selected to review evidence in the case against Slovene Father Marko Rupnik, accused of sexually assaulting dozens of adult women through manipulation involving false spiritual and mystical experiences.
Canon Law currently lacks a specific provision for spiritual abuse, a form of exploitation that experts say has proliferated in recent decades. This void has drawn criticism for enabling alleged perpetrators like Rupnik to evade accountability.
If the working group finalizes its recommendations before the Rupnik case concludes, the new crime could apply retroactively, potentially making him the first individual formally charged with spiritual abuse under the updated framework. Vatican officials have not commented on the case’s specifics, citing ongoing proceedings.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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