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Survivors Urge Pope Leo to Accelerate Secret Clerical Trial

Published 6d ago · Updated 3d ago

Covered in 3 countries

AI summary44s readNegative

Abuse survivors are demanding that Pope Leo conclude a lengthy ecclesiastical trial for a prominent cleric.

Survivors of alleged abuse by Slovenian priest Marko Rupnik have appealed directly to Pope Leo to hasten his ongoing ecclesiastical trial, denouncing the secretive handling of the case. The appeal coincided with the pontiff encountering reminders of the institutional abuse crisis at the sacred shrine in Lourdes, where mosaics created by the accused cleric were previously draped. Complainants expressed deep frustration with ongoing reticence from church authorities and demanded swift justice.

At least twenty women have accused the Slovenian priest-artist of sexual and psychological abuse.
The ecclesiastical trial addressing the allegations has been ongoing for nearly a year without resolution.
Complainants wrote their first letter to Pope Leo to complain about institutional silence.
Artworks designed by the accused priest at the sanctuary in Lourdes were covered up following the allegations.

By the numbers

20women who accused the priest

Timeline

Sep 23Five alleged victims urged Pope Leo to expedite the Church trial of Marko Rupnik.
Sep 26Pope Leo encountered reminders of the clerical abuse crisis during a visit to the sanctuary in Lourdes.

Why it matters

The case highlights ongoing tensions surrounding accountability and transparency within the Catholic Church regarding clerical abuse allegations.

What outlets agree on

Survivors of alleged abuse by Marko Rupnik have urged Pope Leo to conclude his lengthy church trial, criticizing the lack of transparency in the proceedings.

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