A priest who created mosaics adorning the entrance to the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary in Gozo has been dismissed from the Jesuit community after he was accused of sexually abusing nuns.

Prominent Slovenian artist Marko Rupnik, known around the world for his mosaics, was dismissed from the Society of Jesus for lack of obedience after he refused to follow orders by his superiors following the allegations made about him.

He stands accused of psychologically and sexually abusing a number of nuns at the Loyola Community of Ljubljana in the 1990s.

Criminal charges will not be filed against him since the crimes are time-barred. However, the 68-year-old priest had his ministry restricted, including a ban on hearing confessions and conducting spiritual direction.

The Society of Jesus announced this week that Fr Rupnik was dismissed from the religious order in accordance with Canon law, and this “...due to his obstinate refusal to observe the vow of obedience”.

The order said in a decree that the decision was taken after it had received a dossier containing “numerous complaints of all kinds” against Rupnik, relating to alleged incidents over a period of more than 30 years.

As a result, Rupnik was ordered to change community and to accept a new mission “in which we offered him one last chance as a Jesuit to come to terms with his past and to give a clear sign to many aggrieved people who were testifying against him that he had entered a path of truth”, the decree read.

However, Rupnik repeatedly refused to obey the order and obey his mandate, leaving his superior with the only option left: dismissal from the Society of Jesus.

Sources said that the decision to expel Rupnik is understood to have been approved by the Vatican since canon law stipulates that a decree of dismissal must be confirmed by the Vatican before it takes effect.

The artist has been at the centre of a scandal that has shaken the Catholic world since November 2022, when Italian media reported that Rupnik had been accused of spiritually abusing religious women in the 1990s.

A Rupnik mosaic depicting Our Lady presenting Jesus is installed above the main door of the Ta' Pinu sanctuary, with further works by the priest mounted on walls around the church parvis.  The mosaics were inaugurated in 2017.