Pope Leo XIV has acknowledged concerns over the display of works by the former Jesuit priest and artist Marko Rupnik, whose case is now before a Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith tribunal.
Speaking to journalists yesterday outside Castel Gandolfo, the Pope said that judges had been appointed and that judicial processes take time, urging patience as the Church seeks justice while respecting due process.
“In many places, the artwork has been covered up or removed from websites precisely because of the need to be sensitive to those who have come forward as victims,” he said. “So, that is certainly an issue we are aware of. A new trial has recently begun, and judges have been appointed, but the judicial process takes a long time. I know it is difficult for victims to ask for patience, but the Church must respect the rights of everyone involved. The principle of innocent until proven guilty also applies to the Church. Hopefully, this new trial will provide clarity and justice for everyone involved.”
Rupnik’s art remains on display in churches and religious institutions around the world. Pope Leo also confirmed that a Vatican trial against the ex-Jesuit has recently begun.
The Slovene-born priest, long admired for his distinctive mosaics, has been accused by around two dozen women of sexual and spiritual manipulation over several decades. His works, prominent in sanctuaries such as the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, have increasingly become a source of anguish for victims and embarrassment for Church authorities grappling with how to handle their presence.
The Society of Jesus expelled Rupnik in June 2023 after more than two dozen women came forward alleging sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse over a period of 30 years, including incidents during collaboration on his artworks.
Despite these allegations, which include testimonies from several women who have publicly disclosed their experiences, Rupnik remains a priest. His supporters and collaborators continue to deny any wrongdoing.
For decades Rupnik avoided punishment, partly because the women accusing him were adults at the time of the alleged abuses.
A canonical case against Rupnik was opened at the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in October 2023. Many institutions have quietly removed or concealed his images, while others have left them in place pending the tribunal’s outcome.
Historically, the Church has faced similar trials of conscience when moral scandal has touched its artists and clergy. Yet the case of Rupnik has drawn particular attention because his art adorns spaces of prayer and pilgrimage across Europe and beyond.
(Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)
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