Lourdes won't remove mosaics by priest accused of abuse, for now

FILE PHOTO: Laura Sgro, lawyer of former religious sisters Gloria Branciani and Mirjam Kovac who say they have endured sexual and psychological abuse by religious artist Father Marko Rupnik, speaks during a press conference in Rome, Italy February 21, 2024. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The sanctuary of Lourdes, one of the world's most popular Catholic pilgrimage sites, will not for the moment remove mosaics made by a prominent Slovenian Jesuit priest accused of sexual abuse, the local bishop said in an interview.

Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, whose mosaics adorn about 200 churches and chapels around world as well as the Vatican, has been accused of sexual and psychological abuse by about 20 people, mostly former nuns.