The Vatican is exploring whether "spiritual abuse" should be classified as a crime within the Catholic Church, following Pope Francis' directive to address cases where priests exploit supposed mystical experiences to harm others.

The Vatican's doctrinal office announced the initiative but did not specify any particular cases, though incidents have come to light in recent years.

According to Reuters, Cardinal Victor Fernandez, the head of the doctrinal office, met with Pope Francis on 22nd Nov to discuss the proposal.

The pope instructed Cardinal Fernandez to collaborate with another Vatican department to examine the matter further.

The announcement referenced new Vatican guidelines introduced in May, which emphasised the moral seriousness of using spiritual claims to manipulate or control others.

One notable case tied to this issue involves Rev Marko Rupnik, a globally recognised Catholic artist and former leader of a spiritual community in Rome.

Approximately 25 individuals, primarily former nuns, have accused Rupnik of various forms of abuse.

In February, one former nun alleged that Rupnik coerced her into sexual acts involving another nun, framing it as an act of devotion to the Holy Trinity.

Rupnik has not publicly addressed these accusations, though the spiritual centre he once led issued a statement in July claiming he "firmly denied" the allegations.

The Jesuit order expelled Rupnik in June 2023, and the Vatican reopened its investigation into his conduct in October 2023.

He is reportedly continuing his ministry in Slovenia, his home country.