Last November, Cardinal Fernández (the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith) said that the Church was considering making “spiritual abuse” a crime in Canon Law. Over the next couple days, I probably had 15 different people text me asking me if I’d seen this news and what my thoughts were about it (that was the moment I realized that, for better or for worse, I’m becoming the “spiritual abuse guy”).

My thoughts were mixed. I was happy that spiritual abuse was being discussed at the highest levels of the Church, but I also had real concerns about the cardinal’s proposal. A couple months later, Fernández discussed this idea further, and after that point I decided I wanted to write an article laying out my thoughts.

I reached out to America Magazine and they approved my proposal. However, due to life events (like the death of a pope and a conclave), the article was delayed. But I’m excited to share it with you now.

Pope Leo XIV’s June 5 meeting with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors marks a beginning to his response to the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. As calls for accountability grow louder, the Vatican’s next steps could define this pontificate’s approach to safeguarding against all forms of abuse in the church.

One potential step was proposed last November by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The cardinal’s announcement concerned the potential addition of a delict in the Code of Canon Law to address “spiritual abuse.” This initiative, prompted by the troubling reality of spiritual manipulation for sexual exploitation, rightly acknowledges a grave form of harm. However, while Cardinal Fernández’s proposal is a necessary step, the initiative as currently presented risks obscuring the full reality of spiritual abuse in the Catholic Church.

In a January interview, Cardinal Fernández clarified that the proposed law would target instances where spiritual beliefs and practices, “spiritual elements,” are weaponized to coerce individuals into sexual activity. The cardinal’s reason for this proposed change is that this abuse of spirituality for sexual grooming is “unfortunately not uncommon,” and there is currently no specific law for the church to prosecute such offenses.

Cardinal Fernández is absolutely right when he says that this manipulation of spiritual beliefs and practices for sexual grooming is not rare. There are multiple high-profile cases that demonstrate this behavior, the most recent being that of the Rev. Marko Rupnik, a famous artist who has been accused of sexually, spiritually and psychologically abusing more than 20 women. This is an active case on Pope Leo’s desk, and Vatican News has begun removing images of Father Rupnik’s artwork from its website.

The disgraced former Jesuit’s predatory behavior is not dissimilar from that of Jean Vanier, the founder of L’Arche, who is alleged to have groomed the women he abused. Then there is the former chaplain and Franciscan friar at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, David Morrier, who sexually abused a college student under the guise of spiritual deliverance.

Beyond the high-profile cases, the use of spirituality to groom victims for sexual abuse is a very common part of testimonies from survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of spiritual leaders. The attention that the D.D.F. is giving this kind of abuse is long overdue. However, I have two concerns with the legislation being proposed by Cardinal Fernández.

Read the rest at America Magazine:

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/06/11/catholic-church-spiritual-abuse-rupnik-250900

Liked this post? Take a second to support Where Peter Is on Patreon!

Paul Fahey

Paul Faheylives in Michigan with his wife and five kids. He is a limited licensed professional counselor, retreat leader, and catechist. He is a co-founder of Where Peter Is, founder and co-host of the Pope Francis Generation podcast, and the host of the Third Space podcast. He provides counseling for those who have been spiritually abused and produces resources for Church leaders to better safeguard their communities against all forms of abuse.