Victims of Father Marko Rupnik appeal to the Pope ahead of his visit to France

The victims' appeal came just before Pope Leo's four-day visit to France. The head of the Church is to rebuild the trust of the faithful after a series of scandals related to abuses in the Church. In the letter, the victims of Father Marko Rupnik emphasize that the way they are treated by church institutions undermines the declared concern for the victims.

They couldn't testify

The signatories of the letter point out that from the beginning of the proceedings they did not receive any information about its course and were not given the opportunity to testify. "This is a clear signal that reporting abuse to church authorities is pointless because nothing happens and no one is responsible," we read in the letter.

The victims appeal to the Pope to press for a fair and public trial to dispel any doubts about its outcome.

The Vatican is silent

The Vatican has not yet responded to the appeal. Marko Rupnik, a Slovenian priest and renowned artist whose mosaics decorate around 200 temples around the world, including the Basilica of Lourdes, was expelled from the Jesuit order in 2023 after the allegations were found to be "highly credible." The priest himself did not publicly comment on the accusations.

During the pope's visit to Lourdes, the mosaics by Rupnik are to be covered up on the orders of the local bishop.

Dozens of accusations

More than 20 women, mostly former nuns, accused Rupnik of sexual and psychological abuse. The church trial against the priest began in October 2025, but since then there has been no official information about its progress.

In July, the Vatican denied reports about the alleged end of the proceedings.