«They tell me that Wojtyla sometimes went out in the evening with two Polish monsignors and certainly didn't go to bless houses...» . The words pronounced by Pietro Orlandi in the last episode of "DiMartedì", on La 7, with which the brother of the girl, a Vatican citizen, who disappeared in 1983, reiterated his suspicions about the Polish Pope , made a saint on 27 April 2014, and generally on pedophilia in the Vatican during his pontificate.

Orlandi's statement (who in recent days met with the Vatican promoter of justice Alessandro Diddi, with whom he had an 8-hour conversation regarding the latest developments in the Emanuela case) immediately triggered reactions, even vehement ones. Like that of Osservatore Romano , the Vatican newspaper. “Evidence? None. Clues? Least of all. Testimonials at least second or third hand? Not even the shadow. Only anonymous defamatory accusations», reads an editorial signed by the editorial director of the Vatican media Andra Tornielli.

“Madness - adds the newspaper of the Holy See - and we are not saying this because Karol Wojtyła is a saint or because he was pope. Even if this media massacre saddens and dismays by wounding the hearts of millions of believers and non-believers, the defamation must be denounced because it is unworthy of a civilized country to treat any person in this way, living or dead, whether cleric or layman, pope, metalworker or young unemployed".

Tornielli underlines how Pietro Orlandi's words are accompanied by an audio attributed to a self-styled member of the Banda della Magliana "who asserts - also without proof, clues, testimonies, findings or circumstances - that John Paul II" also brought them together those in the Vatican”, meaning Emanuela and other girls». And that "to put an end to this 'crap', the secretary of state at the time would have turned to organized crime to solve the problem".

"Think what would have happened if someone had gone on television to say, on the basis of 'hearsay' from an anonymous source and without a shred of feedback or even third-hand testimony, that your father or grandfather of at night he left the house and together with a few 'snack companions' he went around harassing underage girls», the Vatican newspaper underlines again. "And imagine what would have happened if your now deceased relative were universally known and esteemed by all, due to some important role held".

According to L'Osservatore Romano, «it is right that everyone is held accountable for any crimes, if they have committed any, without any impunity or privileges. It is sacrosanct that a 360-degree investigation be undertaken to seek the truth about Emanuela's disappearance. But no one deserves to be defamed in this way, without even a shred of clues, on the basis of the "rumors" of some unknown character from the criminal underworld or some sleazy anonymous comment broadcast live on TV".

For her part, Laura Sgrò , lawyer assisting Pietro Orlandi, explained: «Mr. Orlandi did not intend to formulate accusations against any person , she reiterated this to the Promoter, she also wrote it in a memo she filed during her deposition . He only asked that the search for truth be unconditioned. Sorry that some people have extrapolated a few sentences by manipulating the overall picture of his statements . We are equally sorry that, among those who accuse him in the press of harming the memory of those who are no longer there, there are also those who, contacted by Mr. Orlandi over the years, have always avoided an authentic and sincere confrontation with him ».

(Unioneonline/lf)

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