Pope Leo XIV receives letter from 5 Rupnik victims

Five women who allege they were sexually abused by Slovenian Father Marko Rupnik sent an open letter to Pope Leo XIV requesting transparency regarding his canonical trial. The women, identified as Gloria Branciani, Mirjam Kovac, Sister Samuelle, Vida Bernard, and an anonymous victim using the pseudonym Pia, told the Pope that the lack of information regarding the judicial process has caused them additional suffering.

In the letter, shared by their lawyer Laura Sgro, the women described the silence from the Church as a form of violence and abandonment. They stated they have received no information about the case from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith beyond what has been reported in the media. The group is asking the Pope to ensure a fair trial that includes impartiality and the opportunity for both sides to be heard.

The appeal comes ahead of the Pope's scheduled arrival in Lourdes on September 26. In March 2025, Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes ordered that mosaics created by Rupnik be covered at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary following allegations that the priest sexually and spiritually abused more than two dozen women.