The head of Pope Francis' own anti-abuse commission has sent a direct request to every Vatican department, urging them to stop displaying the artwork of an alleged abuser.
The artwork is that of Fr. Marko Rupnik, a mosaic artist who was expelled from the Jesuit order and is accused of abusing dozens of women. His artwork appears in more than 200 churches and buildings across Europe and North America.
The letter, sent by Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, the head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, says:
We must avoid sending a message that the Holy See is oblivious to the psychological distress that so many are suffering…
This letter from Cardinal O'Malley comes just one week after the head of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, was asked during a conference about his dicastery's repeated use of Rupnik's artwork. He responded saying removing the artwork is “not the Christian response” and said he is waiting for the Vatican doctrinal office to conclude its investigation into the allegations against Fr. Rupnik.
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