The National Sanctuary of Aparecida in São Paulo, Brazil, is inaugurating the completed mosaic artwork on the west facade of its basilica. Created by the Rome-based Aletti Center—a sacred art school founded by the disgraced priest and artist Marko Ivan Rupnik—the new installation marks the conclusion of the sanctuary’s “Biblical Journey” project, which covers all four exterior facades of the basilica with depictions of biblical scenes.
The unveiling comes amid ongoing global controversy surrounding Rupnik, who was expelled from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in June 2023 for disobeying orders restricting his public ministry. Rupnik faces accusations from dozens of women, primarily religious sisters, of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse, with some allegations directly linked to his artistic production process. He is currently subject to a canonical trial within the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Aparecida’s decision to display the work stands in sharp contrast to actions taken elsewhere. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France announced plans to cover all Rupnik-designed mosaics on the facade of its Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary ahead of a papal visit by Pope Leo XIV, with local church leadership affirming the covers will remain out of respect for abuse victims. Despite the growing pushback, Rupnik and the Aletti Center’s distinctive mosaic style remains embedded in prominent religious sites worldwide, including the Vatican’s Redemptoris Mater Chapel and sanctuaries in Fatima, Washington, D.C., and San Giovanni Rotondo.