VATICAN CITY (VATICAN CITY)
German Press Agency - Deutsche Presse-Agentur DPA [Hamburg, Germany]
September 23, 2026
[See also the Italian text of the letter.]
Five alleged victims of abuse by a former Jesuit priest in Slovenia have demanded justice from the Vatican ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s trip to France this week.
In a letter published in Rome on Wednesday by the women’s lawyer, the former nuns from Slovenia appealed to the head of the Catholic Church to conclude ongoing proceedings against the mosaic artist and former clergyman Marko Rupnik in a special Vatican court.
The 71-year-old, also from Slovenia, is suspected of having sexually abused more than 20 women, the majority of whom are former nuns, in his religious community over several decades.
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Rupnik co-designed the main doors of the Basilica of Our Lady at the Marian pilgrimage site of Lourdes, one of the cities which Leo is expected to visit during his trip.
However, he will not see the mosaics. By decision of the local bishop, the massive mosaics from the former cleric’s workshop were covered with aluminium panels last year.
‘We do not intend to be forgotten’
The letter distributed by the women’s lawyer, Laura Sgrò, states: “We do not intend to be forgotten. And we will not renounce justice as long as the gravity of what happened is not recognized and the person responsible is not punished.”
Proceedings against the former priest are taking place in the Vatican before a special court, though very little has been disclosed about the circumstances and progress so far.
Initially, it was supposed to be concluded by the end of last year. According to Sgrò, her clients have not been called as witnesses, nor has she been allowed to attend hearings as legal counsel.
Clergyman expelled from Jesuit Order
The first allegations of abuse against Rupnik date back to the early 1990s, when he was still in his native Slovenia. He later moved to Rome.
For a time, he was also excommunicated from the Catholic Church for allegedly coercing a nun into sex, but the Vatican subsequently overturned that decision.
Today, Rupnik is said to be living in Slovenia again. The Jesuit Order has since expelled him from the community.
The Vatican has announced that Leo intends to meet with a small group of abuse victims in Lourdes. Other stops on the first French tour for the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics include Paris and Metz.