Knights of Columbus to cover mosaics by Rupnik

NEW YORK – After a review process, the Knights of Columbus announced on July 11 that they will cover in fabric mosaic artwork in worship spaces at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and in the Holy Family Chapel at the Knights’ headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut.

The artwork was installed at each location in 2015. The artwork 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 against artist Father Marko Rupnik, at which time a permanent plaster covering may be in order.

“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,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said July 11. “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.”

In addition to covering the mosaics, the Knights will also implement several measures to stand in solidarity with victims of sexual abuse. These measures include:

• Providing educational materials about the mosaics that will make clear that the continued display of the mosaics at the shrine during the process of consultation was not intended to “ignore, deny, or diminish” the allegations of abuse against Rupnik
• Including a prayer of the faithful for victims of sexual abuse in all shrine Masses
• Specially commemorating at the shrine, the feast days of saints with a special connection to victims of abuse, such as St. Josephine Bakhita.

Rupnik, who was expelled from the Jesuit order in 2023, has been accused by multiple women of abuse when they were adults from the mid-1980’s until at least 2015. Rupnik was a religious superior to most of these women. The investigation into the cases against Rupnik remains ongoing with the DDF, which has said they are in a “fairly advanced stage.”

Until the investigation is concluded, Rupnik remains a priest of good standing in Slovenia.

Kelly notes that the Knights of Columbus was unaware of any sexual abuse allegations against Rupnik until they were brought to light in December 2022. He said that to arrive at the decision to cover the art pieces the Knights conducted an “extensive process” that included consultations with victims of sexual abuse and those who minister to them, individual pilgrims, moral theologians and art historians, as well as bishops and other clergy.

“While opinions varied among those consulted, there was a strong consensus to prioritize the needs of victims, especially because the allegations are current, unresolved, and horrific,” Kelly said.

Kelly also highlighted that shrines are places of healing, prayer and reconciliation that “should not cause victims further suffering.” That, combined with the need for healing from from clergy sexual abuse in general in the United States, were also factors in the decision, he said.

“Context and mission matter,” Kelly said. “Every situation is different.”

“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,” Kelly added. “It is clear to us that, as patrons of a national shrine, our decision must respect this country’s special need for healing.”

The Knights’ decision comes a few weeks after Paola Ruffini, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See, defended his office’s use of Rupnik’s art on the dicastery’s website, saying in part “who am to judge the Rupnik stories?”

Soon after, Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston, the president of the Pontifical Commission for Protecting Minors, issued a statement saying he has asked the heads of all offices in the Roman Curia to take down all of the displayed Rupnik artwork to “avoid sending a message that the Holy See is oblivious to the psychological distress that so many are suffering.”

In the United States, a spokesperson for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops confirmed to Crux that the conference does not have any art by Rupnik.

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