The Pope once again answered questions from the press as he left Castel Gandolfo. One of them was about the trial by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith concerning former Jesuit, Marko Rupnik.
He is a well-known artist and theologian accused of sexually abusing dozens of nuns, although he has not responded to these accusations.
POPE LEO XIV
A new trial has recently begun, judges were appointed, and processes for justice take a long time. And I know is difficult to ask the victims to be patient, but the Church need to respect the rights of all people. The principle of innocence until proven guilty is also true in the Church and hopefully this trial that has just beginning will be able to bring some clarity and justice for everyone. Thank you.
He was also asked whether he thinks Rupnik’s artworks, which decorate churches around the world, should be covered or removed. Some victims claim they were abused during the artworks creation.
POPE LEO XIV
Certainly in many places precisely because of the needs to be sensitive to those who have presented cases of being victims the artwork has been covered up, artwork has been removed from websites. That issue is certainly something that we're aware of.
He was also asked what he thinks about what happened in Chicago, where the authorities have forbidden priests from going to give Communion to migrants.
POPE LEO XIV
Many people who have lived for years and years never causing problems have been deeply affected by whats going on right know. The spiritual rights of people who have been detained should also be considered and I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people. Many times they've been separated from their families for a good amount of time. No one knows what's happening … but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.
Let me say in the first place that the role of the Church is to preach the Gospel and just a couple days befor I heard that Matthew's gospel chapter 25 in which Jesus says very clearly: At the end of the world, we're going to be asked, how did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him, and welcome him, or not?
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the Pontiff expressed his concern about the fragility of the truce due to Israeli attacks on Gaza and the assaults by settlers on Palestinian farmers in the West Bank.
POPE LEO XIV
The issue of the West Bank and the settlers is truly complex. Israel says one thing and then, sometimes, does another. We must try to work together to achieve justice for all peoples.
Pope Leo XIV also spoke negatively about the increase in tensions between Venezuela and the United States and called for more dialogue.
JRB
Trans. CRT
