VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis’ Jesuit order is asking any victims to come forward with complaints against a famous Jesuit artist. They are offering to hear out any allegations against the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik, who was essentially let off the hook by the Vatican twice despite devastating testimony by women who said he sexually and spiritually abused them. Rupnik is relatively unknown among rank-and-file Catholics but is well known in the hierarchy because he is one of the church’s most sought-after artists. His mosaics decorate chapels, churches and basilicas around the globe. The Rupnik scandal exploded this week after the Jesuits admitted that he had been excommunicated for using the confessional to absolve a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity — a grave crime in the church.
Jesuits ask victims to come forward in artist abuse case
