LOURDES SHRINE TO STUDY REMOVAL OF RUPNIK MOSAICS ON SHRINE FACADE
A March 31, 2023 statement by Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes announced that a Think Tank will be set up in the diocese to look at whether or not to remove the mosaics on the Lourdes shrine façade designed by Jesuit Fr. Marko Rupnik, “who has been making headlines following several accusations of sexual abuse committed against adults in the context of his ministry, in various parts of the world.”
The statement goes on to say “He was sanctioned by his religious superiors and by the Holy See. The question of the status of his works and their future arises. (bold in original statement)”
The mosaics were created in 2008 on the 150th anniversary of the apparitions. The bishop said that, “Like any work of art, they are appreciated by some, less by others, but the vast majority of pilgrims and visitors to Lourdes emphasize their beauty.”
Bishop Micas explains that, “Given the specificity of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, the general question of the status of works by artists involved in situations of abuse is considerably more sensitive here. Lourdes is a place where many victims come to the Immaculate Conception seeking consolation and healing. Their distress is great in front of Fr. Rupnik’s mosaics, in this very place: we cannot ignore it.”
“On Monday, March 27, with the rector Fr. Michel Daubanes,” wrote Bishop Micas, “we referred this question to the Shrine’s Orientation Council. The subject was approached with great seriousness: we now know that victims must be at the centre of our reflections, and any decision will have serious consequences.”
The Think Tank, to be set up in April, will be composed of the bishop, the shrine rector, at least one victim, an expert in sacred art and a psychotherapist.
The statement notes that, “A mission and two ‘instructions’ are entrusted at this stage (bold in original):
Develop the necessary elements to make the best decision;
Conduct this reflection in the most serene way possible;
Do not reject any hypothesis of a priori decision.
Joan's Rome 