ROME — Five women who say they are psychologically, spiritually and sexually abused by a famous former Jesuit artist on Friday called on Catholic bishops around the world to remove his mosaics from their churches, saying their continued display in places of worship was “inappropriate” and retraumatizing for victims.
Through their lawyer, the women sent letters to bishops from Brazil to Lebanon and dioceses in between where chapels, churches or basilicas feature some of the nearly 230 mosaics designed by the Rev. Marko Rupnik and his Centro Aletti art studio.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, marked the latest salvo in the long-running scandal over Rupnik, whose mosaics decorate some of the Catholic Church’s most visited shrines but whose reputation has been tarnished by abuse allegations. by more than a dozen women.
The Rupnik scandal has been in the headlines for two years, after the Jesuit religious order admitted that the Slovenian priest had been briefly excommunicated for having committed one of the most serious crimes of the Catholic Church: using the confessional to absolve a woman. with whom he had had sexual relations.
The case continued to create problems for the Jesuits and Pope Francis, as a dozen more women came forward saying they too had been victims of Rupnik. The Vatican initially declined to prosecute, arguing that the women’s claims were too old.
However, after hearing from more victims, the The Jesuits expelled Rupnik of the order and Francis, pressured by suspicions that he had protected his fellow Jesuits, waived the statute of limitations so that the Vatican could open a proper canonical judgment.
To date, Rupnik has not publicly responded to the allegations and refused to respond to his Jesuit superiors during their investigation. His followers at the Centro Aletti art studio have denounced what they called a media “lynching.”
For Rupnik’s victims, the question of what to do with his mosaics goes beyond the argument of separating the art of a problematic artist, as some say Rupnik abused them precisely while he was creating his art: a nun on the scaffolding was being installed in one church, another while posing as his model.
“Despite the years that have passed, the trauma that each one suffered has not been erased and lives again in the presence of each of Father Rupnik’s works,” says the letter, signed by lawyer Laura Sgro on behalf of his five clients. .
In many ways, its appeal is the #NunsToo position in the “cancel culture” debate over whether to boycott Woody Allen movies or Bill Cosby’s comedy sketches after they were accused of misconduct. But because Rupnik’s artwork itself was allegedly a conduit for harassment and abuse, victims and their advocates say. The question is more nuanced and problematic than the age-old debate over whether art, literature, music or film can still be appreciated when its creator is not.
“Rupnik’s continued use of art is incredibly painful for many abuse survivors, who see this as emblematic of a continued lack of concern for the needs of all survivors,” said Sara Larson, executive director of Awake, an advocacy organization. and support for survivors. in an email. “This controversy has been especially painful for many women who were abused as adults, who hear in these conversations a dismissal of their suffering and a reminder that their testimonies may not be believed.”
The Vatican trial against Rupnik is ongoing (Sgro says she has not been contacted to provide testimony for her clients) and Rupnik’s many defenders in the Vatican and beyond say it is important to delay the final judgment until the Vatican takes its stand. decision.
But the scandal was revived last week when the head of the Vatican communications department, Paolo Ruffini, was asked at a Catholic news conference why the Vatican News website continues to feature an image of a Rupnik mosaic.
Ruffini defended the use of the image, saying he was not in a position to judge Rupnik and that in the history of civilization, “removing, erasing or destroying art has never been a good option.”
When pointed out that he had not mentioned the impact it would have on victims to see Rupnik’s artwork promoted by the Vatican, Ruffini noted that the women were not minors and that while “closeness to the victims is important, “I don’t know if this (removing the artwork) is the way to heal.”
When Our Sunday Visitor News reporter Paulina Guzik suggested otherwise, Ruffini said: “I think you are wrong. I think you’re wrong. I really think you are wrong.”
In their letter to the bishops, the five women essentially argued that Ruffini was wrong.
“Let us be clear, this letter does not constitute a judgment on the works of Father Rupnik, but simply a reflection on the appropriateness of his presence in consecrated spaces, dedicated to Our Lord,” the letter said.
They said they did not want to prejudge the outcome of the Vatican’s canonical trial or call for the mosaics to be destroyed. Rather, they asked that they be removed from places of prayer, as a sign of respect for the victims and the sacred spaces themselves, so that “they do not overshadow the spirituality of the faithful.”
However, their removal is not a simple matter, since some of the mosaics cover entire facades of the basilica (Lourdes, France); entire interiors (the Vatican’s own Redemptoris Mater chapel); or, in the case of the sanctuary of Saint Padre Pio in southern Italy, the entire smaller church, gilded from floor to ceiling.
The mosaics are also a large and expensive undertaking for the churches that commission them: last month, the basilica of Aparecida, Brazil – another important shrine for Catholics – inaugurated its Rupnik-designed façade with a huge production of songs and dances in the style of Hollywood and a documentary of almost two hours about its construction.
Other churches have smaller scale mosaics, but they are still prominent. The mosaics designed by Rupnik within the Basilica of the Holy Trinity in Fátima, Portugal, are so essential to its artistic and iconographic importance that the sanctuary seeks to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
But other churches are reconsidering. Bishop Jean-Marc Micas, whose diocese includes the sanctuary of Lourdes, France, announced the creation of a study group last year to consider what to do with the Rupnik mosaics on the facade of the Rosary Basilica. He acted after victims sent letters asking for a “gesture” from Lourdes and describing Rupnik’s mosaics there as an additional source of pain as they sought to heal from his abuse.
“Their anguish is great in front of Reverend Rupnik’s mosaics in this very place: we cannot ignore it,” Micas said in a statement at the time, vowing to put the victims first. A decision is expected soon.
A reflection is also taking place at the Knights of Columbus’ St. John Paul II National Shrine, which they built in Washington DC in 2011 and features Rupnik mosaics.
In a statement, the Knights said they were “deeply disturbed and strongly condemn all cases of sexual abuse.”
“We continue to pray for the victims and are carefully considering the best course of action regarding the mosaics that were installed in the sanctuary.” The outcome of the Vatican’s canonical trial against Rupnik would be “an important factor in our considerations,” the statement added.
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