Lourdes shrine to cover Rupnik mosaics before Pope Leo XIV's visit

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southwestern France will cover all the mosaics made by Father Marko Rupnik, a former Jesuit and well-known artist, ahead of the visit of Pope Leo XIV on September 26 and 27, 2026. Bishop Jean-Marc Micas announced the decision and said he was committed to showing respect for the abuse victims who have accused Rupnik.

Rupnik faces allegations of spiritual, psychological and sexual abuse of a group of religious sisters in the 1990s. He was expelled from the Society of Jesus in June 2023. He is now facing a canonical trial at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith over complaints that he abused numerous religious sisters, some of whom worked on his art.

Criticism of Vatican secrecy

Laura Sgro, a lawyer for five women who were abused, criticized the Vatican's legal system for its secrecy. In a letter to the Holy See, she demanded information on the state of the investigation after an Italian blog reported that Rupnik had been acquitted in the canonical trial. The Vatican has not said which specific offenses Rupnik was charged with, leaving it unclear whether he has been cleared of some charges while the investigation into others continues.

Vatican officials confirmed that the case remains open. There have been suggestions that the Slovenian priest was protected by his Jesuit superiors and by the Vatican hierarchy, including Pope Leo XIV.

Background to the scandal

Rupnik is known for mosaics that decorate churches and basilicas around the world. The scandal broke in 2022, when allegations of misconduct dating from the 1990s, which Church authorities had dismissed, became public. In 2020 the Jesuits acknowledged that Rupnik had been briefly excommunicated for using the sacrament of confession to absolve a woman with whom he had had sexual relations.

The Vatican declined to prosecute other complaints, saying they were too old and that the victims were adults at the time of the alleged abuse. In 2023, after more than two dozen women came forward to report sexual, spiritual or psychological abuse, the Jesuits expelled him from the order. Rupnik remains a priest, and his defenders deny any wrongdoing.

Victims' lack of rights

Sgro asked how the current investigation can be squared with the principles of law, truth, justice and fairness that the pope promotes. In canonical abuse investigations, victims are treated as no more than witnesses in their own cases. They cannot take part in the secret proceedings, have no access to the files and no right to know how the investigation stands.

Since a 2019 reform by Pope Francis, victims may learn the final outcome, but nothing more. French experts who reviewed the clergy abuse scandal in France said the Vatican fails to meet its obligations as a UN observer state and a member of the Council of Europe, which require respect for victims' basic human rights.

Steps taken at Lourdes

Micas said on August 20 that "all the works on the facade" of the Rosary Basilica will be covered and redecorated out of respect for victims. They will remain covered even after the papal visit. The mosaics were installed on the neo-Gothic facade of the lower basilica in 2007.

In May 2023 Micas set up a commission to assess the future of the mosaics. Since July 2024 the work has no longer been lit at night and has not been on display during candlelight processions. During last year's Jubilee of Hope, the central doors were covered, though the larger mosaics remained visible.

Theological and artistic reflection

"My role is to ensure that the shrine welcomes everyone, especially those who are suffering," Micas said. "Among them are victims of abuse and sexual assault, both children and adults... Those who suffer and are wounded, who need comfort and healing, must remain the top priority at Lourdes."

The mosaics will stay covered after the papal pilgrimage, at which point a new period of reflection will begin. The commission will be expanded to include artists and theologians who will consider the future of the basilica's facade.

Rupnik's artistic career has created a dilemma for many Catholic shrines and churches in Europe and the Americas. His workshop has worked on projects for close to 200 liturgical spaces around the world. They include Fatima, the Vatican, the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil, the John Paul II shrine in Washington, D.C., and the tomb of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.

The Holy See has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will meet privately with abuse victims during his stay in France. Sexual abuse and support for victims are expected to come up when the pope meets the French bishops on September 27, though the status of the Rupnik case is not expected to be discussed.