Marko Rupnik, Photo: REUTERS
Five victims of alleged abuse by a prominent Vatican-linked priest urged Pope Leo on Monday to insist on an end to the nearly year-long church trial against the priest, saying the long and secretive proceedings are denying them justice.
In an open letter ahead of Pope Leo’s four-day visit to France, where the pope wants to repair the Church’s reputation after abuse scandals there, victims of priest Marko Rupnik said the way they were treated casts a bad light on the Church’s commitment to helping victims.
“The message this sends is that it is useless to report abuse to church authorities, because nothing happens anyway and no one will be held accountable,” the letter states.
The victims stated that they did not receive any information about the course of the church process and that they did not have the opportunity to testify.
They called on Pope Leo to insist on a fair trial “so that the verdict and its outcome, whatever it may be, remain beyond any shadow of doubt.”
The Vatican press service did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Rupnik, a Slovenian priest, is a religious artist whose mosaics adorn around 200 churches and chapels around the world, including the basilica in Lourdes, France, which the pope will visit on Saturday.
The Bishop of Lourdes ordered the mosaics to be covered during the Pope’s visit.
More than 20 women, mostly former nuns, have accused Rupnik of sexual and psychological abuse.
The priest, who was expelled from the Jesuit order in 2023 after the order deemed the allegations against him to be “very highly” credible, has not publicly commented on the allegations, as far as is known.
The head of the powerful Vatican doctrinal office first announced in October 2025 that a church process would be initiated against Rupnik. Such proceedings are conducted behind closed doors, and there has been little new information since then.
The Vatican denied in July allegations that a decision had already been made in that case.
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