The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes will cover all mosaics created by Father Marko Rupnik on the façade of the Basilica of the Rosary ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s September pilgrimage to France, a decision the local bishop says places the needs of abuse victims first.
Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes told the French newspaper La Dépêche du Midi on Aug. 20 that “all of the works on the façade” will be covered and redecorated. According to EWTN News, the Lourdes shrine’s press office confirmed the decision, although details about how and when the mosaics will be covered have not yet been announced.
The move comes ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s scheduled visit to Lourdes on Sept. 26–27 as part of his trip to France. Rupnik’s mosaics cover significant portions of the exterior of the lower basilica and otherwise could have been visible during events surrounding the papal pilgrimage.
Micas said the decision was made with particular concern for people who have suffered abuse.
“My role is to ensure that the shrine welcomes everyone, especially those who are suffering,” Micas told La Dépêche du Midi. “Among them are victims of sexual abuse and assault, both children and adults. … Those who are suffering and wounded, who need consolation and healing, must remain the top priority in Lourdes.”
According to EWTN News, the Vatican has said Pope Leo will meet privately with abuse victims during his trip to France, though further details about that meeting have not been released. The pope is also scheduled to meet with French bishops on Sept. 27.
Rupnik, a priest and artist formerly belonging to the Society of Jesus, has been accused of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse involving religious sisters. He was removed from the Jesuits in June 2023 and is currently facing a canonical trial before the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith over allegations involving dozens of women religious, according to EWTN News.
The Lourdes mosaics were installed on the neo-Gothic façade of the Basilica of the Rosary in 2007. Their future has been under consideration for several years as allegations against Rupnik have drawn increasing attention throughout the Catholic Church.
Micas established a commission in May 2023 to consider what should be done with the artwork. Beginning in July 2024, the mosaics were no longer illuminated at night or during the shrine’s candlelight processions. During the 2025 Jubilee of Hope, Rupnik’s artwork on the central doors of the lower basilica was covered, while larger mosaics depicting the luminous mysteries of the rosary remained visible.
The latest decision goes considerably further by covering the entire collection on the façade.
The coverings will not simply be removed after Pope Leo leaves Lourdes. Micas told La Dépêche du Midi that the mosaics “will remain covered after the Holy Father’s pilgrimage,” after which the shrine will begin another period of discernment concerning their long-term future.
According to the bishop, the existing commission will be expanded to include artists and theologians who will help consider what should ultimately be done with the basilica’s façade.
The controversy extends far beyond Lourdes. Rupnik’s workshop participated in projects for more than 200 liturgical spaces around the world, according to EWTN News, including sites at Fátima, the Vatican, the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and the tomb of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.
In 2024, the Knights of Columbus covered Rupnik mosaics inside chapels at the St. John Paul II National Shrine and at the organization’s headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut.
For Lourdes, the decision now ensures that the disputed artwork will no longer dominate the façade as pilgrims gather for Pope Leo’s visit. More importantly, Micas has framed the action as part of the shrine’s responsibility to remain a place of welcome, consolation, and healing for those who have suffered.
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