Abuse victims urge Pope Leo to expedite Church trial of Slovenian priest

Five victims of alleged abuse by a prominent priest with Vatican ties urged Pope Leo on Wednesday to press for the conclusion of a nearly year-long Church trial of the cleric, saying a lengthy and secret process was denying them justice.

In an open letter ahead of Leo's four-day visit to France, where the pope is hoping to repair the Church's standing after abuse scandals there, victims of Rev. Marko Rupnik said their treatment reflects poorly on the Church's commitment to helping victims.

"This is the message being conveyed ... that it is useless to report abuse to ecclesiastical authorities, because nothing happens anyway and no one will be held accountable," read the letter.

The victims said they had received no updates about the Church trial and had not been able to offer testimony.

They urged Leo to press for a fair trial "so that the judgment and its outcome, whatever it may be, will remain free of any shadow of doubt."

The Vatican press office did not immediately offer comment.

Rupnik, a Slovenian priest, is a religious artist whose mosaics adorn about 200 churches and chapels around the world, including a basilica in Lourdes, France, where the pope will visit on Saturday.

The bishop of Lourdes has ordered that the mosaics be covered up for the pope's visit.

More than 20 women, mostly former nuns, have accused Rupnik of sexual and psychological abuse.

The priest, expelled from the Jesuit order in 2023 after it found the accusations against him to be "very highly" credible, is not known to have commented publicly on the allegations.

The head of the Vatican's powerful doctrinal office first announced a Church trial against Rupnik in October 2025. Such trials are held behind closed doors and there have been few updates since. In July, the Vatican denied reports that a decision had been made in the case.

-Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Alexandra Hudson/Reuters