A global publisher has withdrawn three books by Jesuit artist Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik after he was accused of serial sex abuse.
Pauline Books and Media announced on Thursday that it would withdraw the English editions of Rupnik’s works it had published over the years “in light of this very sad news, and out of respect for those who have been hurt.”
The Catholic publishing empire is run by the Daughters of St. Paul, a religious congregation that seeks to promote the gospel through the media.
According to Catholic news website Church Militant, the sisters said they were “saddened by the recent news” about Rupnik and the three titles would “no longer be available through our channels.” Earlier, the publishing house posted a tweet calling for prayer for “everyone who has been hurt and affected.”
Fr Rupnik is a world famous artist and a high profile figure in Rome and known as a friend and advisor to Pope Francis.
He is the director of the Christian cultural organsation Centro Aletti in Rome and has designed religious works of art for over 30 years. Rupnik is the artist who created the official image of the 2022 World Meeting of Families.
He has been accused of sexual abuse committed in the 1990s against at least nine consecrated women of the Loyola Community, a Slovenian community co-founded by Rupnik and Sister Ivanka Hosta.
The first reports of “gruesome” psychological and sexual violence against nuns by Rupnik date back to 1992 when a solution was found in agreement with the bishop of Ljubljana to remove Rupnik from the Community.
The Vatican received a further complaint against him in 2021 but declined to carry out a canonical process due to the statute of limitations (the complaint did not include minors), according to a statement released by the Jesuits on the 2 December.
However, following a further investigation by his religious order into allegations of abuse against religious sisters in Slovenia, Rupnik was in January 2022 banned from hearing confessions or conducting spiritual direction.
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