VATICAN CITY (VATICAN CITY)
La Croix International [Montrouge Cedex, France]
November 7, 2024
By Malo Tresca
The Vatican has found Austrian Father Gebhard Paul Maria Sigl, co-founder of the Family of Mary, guilty of spiritual and psychological abuse. The former leader and spiritual director of the international pontifical-right association faces multiple penalties, including a ten-year ban on ministry.
The decision concluded a canonical trial lasting over two years and resulted in a rare conviction for psychological and spiritual abuse—cases that do not involve explicit sexual misconduct. As first revealed by Italian Catholic outlet AdistaNovember 5, the Vatican’s ruling against Austrian Father Gebhard Paul Maria Sigl, 75, affects his legacy as co-founder and leader of the international pontifical-right missionary community, the Family of Mary (FM), where he served for three decades.
Allegations of control and manipulation
Witnesses and victims, primarily former community members, accused Sigl of mental manipulation, blurring internal and external spiritual boundaries, theological deception, emotional blackmail, silencing dissenting voices, fostering a cult of the founder, and undermining individual personalities and consciences. The sentence, which has not been made public by the Vatican but confirmed to Adista by a German-speaking source, imposed strict conditions: Sigl is barred for ten years from residing in any house containing FM members or the Work of Jesus the High Priest (OJSS, the priestly branch approved by Rome in 2008), holding administrative roles in these communities, hearing confessions, offering spiritual guidance, preaching, or leading retreats.Further reading: Expert says Church has strong anti-abuse protocols, but they’re not being fully applied
Additionally, Sigl’s canonical sentence included indefinite restrictions on his involvement in managing the civil associations responsible for FM’s assets. The document detailing these rulings was signed by three judges of the ecclesiastical court—Salesian Bishop Markus Graulich, Jesuit Father Ulrich Rhode, and Father Grzegorz Erlebach—and endorsed by Pope Francis October 11.
A post-investigation turnaround
Observers noted that this trial signals a significant acknowledgment by Rome of spiritual and psychological abuse, which, due to its subtle nature, often goes unaddressed at an institutional level. Sigl’s case is particularly significant as he succeeded co-founder Bishop Pavol Hnilica and mentor Father Josef Seidnitzer (1920–1993), an Austrian priest repeatedly convicted of sexual abuse involving minors.
Following reports, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy initiated an apostolic visit in 2021, led by retired Italian Bishop Francesco Cacucci of Bari-Bitonto, to investigate the community. The inquiry’s findings led to FM being placed under supervision in June 2022, with Sigl removed and barred from contacting community members. Family of Mary’s spiritual practices included a focus on the visions of Dutch mystic Ida Peerdeman—a friend of Sigl’s—whose revelations were condemned by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith as inconsistent with church teachings.
Lingering uncertainties
Two apostolic commissioners, Auxiliary Bishop Daniele Libanori of Rome and Sister Katarina Kristofova were appointed in June 2022 to oversee FM’s interim governance. Questions remain about the enforcement of Sigl’s sanctions. In a statement posted November 6, FM confirmed that the Dicastery for the Clergy had sent the implementation decree to the papal commissioner at the end of October, instructing all bishops in dioceses where OJSS and FM associations operate to be informed. According to the FM, this notification was made a day earlier.
Further reading: “Abuses often occur in a sacramental context, related to Mass or confession”
First recognized in 1992 in the Diocese of Roznava in Slovakia, the international pontifical-right missionary association now has a presence in Europe, Latin America, the United States, and Asia. It comprised more than 60 priests, 30 seminarians, and 200 laywomen known as “apostolic sisters.”