Pope Leo XIV to visit Lourdes with Rupnik's mosaics covered

Pope Leo XIV will visit Lourdes during an apostolic journey to France starting Friday. During the visit, the mosaics by Marko Rupnik at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary will remain covered. The mosaics on the basilica doors were covered in March 2025, and those on the facade were covered in September 2026.

Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes told America Magazine that the artworks will stay covered after the papal pilgrimage ends. The bishop stated that the sanctuary must remain an open place for everyone, particularly for those who have experienced sexual violence. In 2023, Micas established a commission including lawyers, sacred art experts, and survivors to address the works by Rupnik.

Pope Leo XIV has supported the actions taken in Lourdes, according to the National Catholic Reporter. Following his election, reproductions of Rupnik's works were removed from Vatican websites, and retreats for the Curia did not take place in the Redemptoris Mater chapel, which features his mosaics.