He was removed from the Jesuits one year ago, and the Vatican has announced that Rupnik will face a canonical process over the abuse allegations after Pope Francis decided to waive the statute of limitations on the claims.
The priest’s prolific art career that followed his alleged abuse has created a problem for many shrines and Catholic churches across Europe and North America. Rupnik’s workshop has accounted for projects for more than 200 liturgical spaces around the world, including Fátima, the Vatican, the John Paul II shrine in Washington, D.C., and the tomb of St. Padre Pio.
Some have argued that removing Rupnik’s art would be a manifestation of “cancel culture” and point to the work of Renaissance artists with scandalous personal lives. Others highlight the allegations that the accused priest convinced religious sisters to commit sins with him by persuading them that sinful acts would worship God and ask if his sacred art might likewise be imbued with and communicate “a false Gospel.”
The Vatican has come under criticism as it has continued to publish images of mosaics made by Rupnik on its official media outlet, Vatican News, most recently on June 28. Paolo Ruffini, the head of the Vatican’s communications office, defended using Rupnik’s art during an appearance in Atlanta on June 21, arguing that removing it wouldn’t help his accusers.
Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the pope’s top adviser on clerical sexual abuse prevention, sent a letter to the Roman Curia on June 26 asking Vatican officials not to use Rupnik’s art to “avoid sending a message that the Holy See is oblivious to the psychological distress that so many are suffering.”
For Lourdes, the problem is felt acutely as the Marian shrine is known throughout the world as a place of healing and consolation and thought of by many as a privileged place for abuse victims seeking healing. The French bishops have underscored this by gathering in Lourdes to pray and fast for victims of abuse.
In his most recent statement, Micas underlined that he believes that at Lourdes the suffering and the wounded, including victims of sexual abuse, must always come first.
“My role is to ensure that the sanctuary is welcoming to everyone, especially those who are suffering, including victims of sexual abuse and assault, both children and adults,” the bishop said.
“At Lourdes, the suffering and wounded in need of consolation and reparation must always be prioritized. This is the special grace of this shrine: Nothing should prevent them from responding to Our Lady’s message to come here on pilgrimage.”
For this reason, Micas said he believes that mosaics should be removed. He added that Rupnik’s art “has nothing to do with other artworks whose artists and victims are deceased, sometimes for centuries.”
“Here, the victims are alive and so is the artist,” he said.
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Entrusting the situation to Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette, the bishop said that he will “continue to work even more with victims and to discern what should be done here in Lourdes to honor the absolute requirement of consolation and reparation.”
Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees. She is the author of “Blessed Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers” (Ignatius, 2023), https://ignatius.com/carlo-acutis-sscap/.
