The Vatican has decided to dissolve the Loyola Community, which was co-founded by the Rev. Marko Rupnik, a former Jesuit priest, mosaic artist, and accused sex offender, the Slovenian Archdiocese of Ljubljana confirmed on Friday (December 15).

The sisters of the group were presented with a decree dated December 14 from the Vatican's office for institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life to cease and desist within a year "due to serious problems concerning the exercise of authority and the way of living together."

The Vatican's decree ordering the dissolution was issued on October 20, EWTN reported.

Loyola Community was founded in Slovenia by Rupnik and a certain Sister, Ivanka Hosta, over three decades ago.

The Rise and Fall of Rupnik

Rupnik, notably known for his unique religious artwork and his closeness to Pope Francis, was removed from the Society of Jesus in June after having been accused of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse of religious sisters. He was then relegated as a diocesan priest of the Diocese of Koper in Slovenia.

While most of the priests whom the Vatican punished were removed from the priestly state, Rupnik retained his priestly faculties, raising speculations that he avoided being defrocked due to his being in close contact with the pope, who was himself a Jesuit prior to his election to the papacy in 2013.

Since then, the Vatican announced that Rupnik would face a canonical process over the abuse allegations after Francis decided to waive the statute of limitations on the claims.

Last year, a former Loyola sister told Italian media outlet "Domani" that Rupnik acted as the community's chaplain before leaving for Rome in 1993, taking with him several sisters, allegedly as part of his atelier at his art and theology school called the Aletti Center.

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The Fate of Ivanka Hosta

Hosta, on the other hand, acted as superior general of the community from 1994 to 2023, when she was removed in a silent coup in June by a decree sent by one of Rome's auxiliary bishops, Daniele Libanori, SJ.

The decree ordered Hosta to not have any contact with current or past members for three years and, as an act of "external penance," was ordered to make a monthly pilgrimage for a year to a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary to pray "for the victims of Father Marko Ivan Rupnik's behavior and for all the religious of the Loyola Community," whom she was accused of harming.

Since the Loyola Community had its headquarters in Rome, the Vatican office responsible for overseeing the affairs of religious congregations handed over the matter to the Diocese of Rome, of which the pope is always its bishop by virtue of his apostolic office.

The diocese then sent a commissioner to speak with the sisters and sent a final report to the Vatican in September 2022 through the Apostolic Nunciature in Slovenia.

The Diocese of Rome issued a report on its investigation of Rupnik's Aletti Center in September, concluding that the center had "a healthy community life ... that [was] free of particular serious issues," a statement drawing "bewilderment" from victims of Rupnik's alleged spiritual and sexual abuse.

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