Abuse Survivors Demand Pope Leo Accelerate Secret Church Trial Against Slovenian Priest

VATICAN CITY: Five survivors of alleged abuse by a high-profile priest with Vatican connections have written to Pope Leo urging him to push for the swift conclusion of a Church trial that has now been ongoing for nearly a year, arguing that the protracted and opaque proceedings are denying them justice.

The letter, sent ahead of Pope Leo’s four-day visit to France, was authored by individuals who have accused the Reverend Marko Rupnik of misconduct. The victims stated that the Church’s handling of their case reflects poorly on its commitment to supporting those who have suffered abuse.

“This is the message being conveyed … that it is useless to report abuse to ecclesiastical authorities, because nothing happens anyway and no one will be held accountable,” the letter read.

The survivors said they had received no updates regarding the Church trial and had not been given the opportunity to provide testimony. They called on Pope Leo to ensure a fair judicial process, saying, “so that the judgment and its outcome, whatever it may be, will remain free of any shadow of doubt.”

The Vatican press office declined to comment immediately. Rupnik, a Slovenian-born priest and religious artist, is known for creating mosaics that adorn roughly 200 churches and chapels worldwide, including a basilica in Lourdes, France, where the pope is scheduled to visit on Saturday.

The bishop of Lourdes has ordered that all Rupnik mosaics be covered during the papal visit.

More than 20 women — the majority of them former nuns — have accused Rupnik of sexual and psychological abuse. The priest, who was expelled from the Jesuit order in 2023 after that body found the allegations against him to be “very highly” credible, has not publicly addressed the accusations.

The head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office first announced a formal Church trial against Rupnik in October 2025. Such trials are conducted behind closed doors, and few updates have been provided since. In July, the Vatican dismissed reports that a ruling had already been issued in the case.

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