Lourdes Shrine Bans Traditionalist Priests and Covers Controversial Art

The famous religious site in France is making big changes before the Pope visits. It is blocking a specific group of priests and hiding artwork by a man accused of abuse.

Big changes are coming to the famous Lourdes Shrine in France. First, leaders at the shrine have decided to ban priests from the Society of St. Pius X. These priests follow older, traditional ways of saying Mass that are not always in line with the modern Catholic Church. Starting now, these priests cannot hold services or perform sacraments—which are special religious ceremonies—at the shrine. Second, the shrine is covering up all the mosaics made by Father Marko Rupnik. A mosaic is a piece of art made from many small, colored tiles. Father Rupnik is a famous artist, but he has been accus…