The Knights of Columbus announced Thursday that mosaics by the disgraced religious artist Fr. Marko Rupnik will be covered at two prominent chapels under the Knights’ care.
The fraternal organization said the artwork could be permanently plastered over, after the conclusion of a Vatican penal process against the priest.
In a July 11 statement, the Knights of Columbus said that installations by Rupnik at the at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and Holy Family Chapel at the organization’s’ headquarters in New Haven will be covered, after a “a careful and thorough process” to review of the future of the mosaics, which included consultation with clerical sexual abuse victims, art experts, and bishops.
“The Knights of Columbus has decided to cover these mosaics because our first concern must be for victims of sexual abuse, who have already suffered immensely, and who may be further injured by the ongoing display of the mosaics at the Shrine,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly.
“This decision is rooted in a foundational purpose of the Knights of Columbus, which is to protect families, especially women and children, and those who are vulnerable and voiceless.”
Rupnik has been accused of sexually abusing some 30 religious sisters. Some of the allegations involve claims of sexual abuse, which reportedly occurred directly in the context of designing and creating his works of art. Rupnik was previously convicted by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith of sexual crimes related to the sacrament of penance, and the priest was briefly excommunicated.
While a Vatican trial is underway, the Society of Jesus has already conducted a lengthy investigation into Rupnik’s alleged abuse, and found a “high degree” of evidence against him, though instead of pursuing the priest’s laicization, the Jesuits opted to expel him from the order for disobedience.
In October last year, Pope Francis announced that he had waived the canonical statute of limitations on allegations against the priest, instructing the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith — the Church’s highest disciplinary court — to initiate a new process against the cleric.
And in April, Washington, DC, members of the Knights of Columbus called for Rupnik’s work to be removed or covered.
In the announcement Thursday, the Knights of Columbus said that Rupnik’s mosaics in Connecticut and Washington will remain covered “at least until the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issues its decision on the pending sexual abuse cases.”
“A permanent plaster covering may be in order” following that decision.
The announcement follows a July 2 announcement from the Bishop of Lourdes, who said that Rupnik’s work at the Marian shrine in Lourdes would no longer be illuminated.
While the bishop said his personal preference would be to remove Rupnik’s works entirely, out of respect for the priest’s victims and other survivors of sexual abuse, he acknowledged that opinions were deeply divided, and deferred permanent action.
In the statement Thursday, Supreme Knight Kelly referenced the “thoughtful decision of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, which both informed and confirmed us in our own decision-making,” and said that “shrines are places of healing, prayer and reconciliation. They should not cause victims further suffering.”
Both announcements followed a June 26 letter from Cardinal Sean O’Malley, head of the Pontifical Council for the Protection of Minors, to the dicasteries of the Roman Curia calling for a moratorium on the display of artwork by alleged abusers.
In his letter, O’Malley argued that “pastoral prudence would prevent displaying artwork in a way that could imply either exoneration or a subtle defense” of an alleged abuser, “or indicate indifference to the pain and suffering of so many victims of abuse.”
Cardinal O’Malley’s letter was widely seen as a pointed response to comment by the prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications, Paolo Ruffini, who last month said his department would continue to use Rupnik’s work in its materials and on its website, regardless of the allegations against him.
Addressing the Catholic Media Conference in June, Ruffini said that removing publicly displayed art is not a reasonable act for “civilization,” suggesting that even if Rupnik is convicted at the DDF of grave sexual abuse, the Vatican may not support the public removal of his art.
“This is not the way to be close to the victims, to think that if I pull away a photo of art from my website, our website, I would be more close to victims,” Ruffini said.
In the Knights of Columbus statement, Kelly said that the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington is “unique” and that the Knights’ decision was “tailored to its particular circumstances.”
“Context and mission matter,” Kelly said. “In the United States, Catholics continue to suffer in a unique way from the revelations of sexual abuse and, at times, from the response of the Church. It is clear to us that, as patrons of a national shrine, our decision must respect this country’s special need for healing.”
In addition to covering the mosaics, the Knights also announced several new “pastoral measures” to “express [their] solidarity with victims of sexual abuse,” including providing “educational materials” about the mosaics and the allegations against Rupnik and adding a prayer of the faithful for victims of sexual abuse at all shrine Masses.
After he was expelled from the Society of Jesus last year, Rupnik was incardinated by his home bishop in Slovenia’s Diocese of Koper, where “as long as Rev. Rupnik has not been found guilty in a public trial in court, he enjoys all the rights and duties of diocesan priests,” according to the diocese.
According to statements from the Jesuits, Rupnik was placed under “restricted ministry” conditions as early as 2019, when they first received the allegation of attempted absolution of a sexual partner.
Rupnik continued to teach, lecture, and receive high-profile artistic commissions throughout that time, and was named as a consultant to several Vatican dicasteries — including the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Dicastery for Clergy.
Msgr. Joseph Kennedy, head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s disciplinary section, said May 29 that work on the Rupnik case was “at a fairly advanced stage,” raising expectations that a final decision could be announced in the coming months.
The Vatican later ordered the closure of a religious community co-founded by the mosaic artist.
