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Pope Leo XIV to See Covered Rupnik Mosaics at Lourdes
Developing
In Short: In August, Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes ordered the mosaics above the entrance to the basilica to be covered before the pope’s visit, which is scheduled for September 25-28.
Five alleged victims of Slovenian Father Marko Rupnik addressed an open letter to Pope Leo XIV, calling for an end to the Vatican's silence regarding the priest's ongoing canonical trial.
The letter, signed by Gloria Branciani, Mirjam Kovac, Sister Samuelle, Vida Bernard, and an anonymous victim using the pseudonym 'Pia,' described the silence and lack of information as an 'agonizing violence' that added to their suffering.
The alleged victims said they had learned from press reports that the canonical proceedings against Father Rupnik had begun, but requests for updates from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith went unanswered.
In August, Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes ordered the mosaics above the entrance to the basilica to be covered before the pope’s visit, which is scheduled for September 25-28.
The mosaics, created and installed by Father Rupnik in 2008 to mark the 150th anniversary of the apparitions, have become a painful reminder for the alleged victims.
The survivors said the trial conducted in 'oblivion' offers no guarantees to anyone, neither to the accused nor to the victims, and is irreconcilable with the concepts of law, truth, justice, fairness, and mercy.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the report was 'completely unfounded' and that the canonical proceedings were still ongoing.
The last official update on the trial was in July, after the Vatican was forced to respond to a report by an Italian blog that Father Rupnik had been acquitted.
Background
Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes ordered the complete covering of Father Marko Rupnik's mosaics ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Lourdes on September 26.
In preparation for Pope Leo XIV's visit to Lourdes, Bishop Jean-Marc Micas ordered the complete covering of Father Marko Rupnik's mosaics, which were partially covered earlier this year.
What's still developing
- “Sexual, physical, psychological, and spiritual violence; an enduring violence inflicted upon the soul, to which is now added this new and agonizing violence of silence and abandonment by the justice system,” the alleged victims said.
- Since the allegations were revealed, calls to remove the priest’s artwork have grown, including from alleged victims who said the mosaics were a painful reminder of the abuse they suffered.
- “Abused and reviled, we therefore continue to suffer violence amidst the grave-like silence and indifference of those called upon to decide our lives,” the letter stated.