Why controversy skipped the Rupnik unveiling in Brazil

The Basilica of Aparecida unveiled the final of four large mosaics by Father Marko Rupnik on Sept. 12. While the Slovenian-born former Jesuit faces accusations of serial sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse spanning thirty years, the ceremony in Brazil drew little controversy.

Redemptorist priests who run the shrine and the Diocese of Aparecida decided to use Rupnik's work in 2019 to help establish the shrine as an international pilgrimage site. At that time, Rupnik was a prominent figure in the Church, with his workshop decorating sites such as the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vatican and sanctuaries in France and Portugal.

Church observers and advocates for victims of clerical abuse criticized the decision by the Basilica of Aparecida to proceed with the installation. Despite these criticisms, the unveiling of the fourth facade did not generate significant public outcry in the country.