The allegations made by the brother of a Vatican schoolgirl who disappeared four decades ago, accusing one of his predecessors, Saint John Paul II, were denounced by Pope Francis as unfounded and disrespectful on Sunday.
After having a piano lesson in Rome on June 22, 1983, Emanuela Orlandi, who was 15 then, vanished. Orlandi, the daughter of a Vatican usher, resided inside the Vatican's gates with her family. One of Italy's longest-running enigmas is the reason behind her mysterious departure.
Pope Francis Denies Claims Made About Saint John Paul II Concerning the Long-standing Vatican Disappearance
In the article in Reuters, at a recent engagement, the pope addressed the accusations made by Orlandi's brother. He categorically denied any involvement of Saint John Paul II in the unsolved crime. The Holy Father expressed his disdain for such unsubstantiated assertions, highlighting the significance of the truth and respect for the late pontiff's memory.
Tuesday's meeting between Pietro Orlandi and the head prosecutor of the Vatican, Alessandro Diddi, marked a new stage in investigating the case of Orlandi's sister Emanuela, who vanished 40 years ago. Pope Francis has given Diddi complete autonomy to solve the persistent riddle.
Pietro Orlandi appeared on a television program where he played a segment of an audio tape after an eight-hour talk with Diddi. Orlandi asserts that the voice belonged to a person associated with a gang that Italian media has long thought was responsible for his sister's disappearance.
The alleged offender claims in the recording that Pope John Paul II was conscious of incidents in which girls were brought to the Vatican for molestation more than 40 years ago. This latest development has rekindled interest in the issue among the general public and prompted inquiries regarding the late pope's possible participation.
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Netflix Documentary Investigates the Theories Surrounding the Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi
Another source, the Associated Press News, shared that the daughter of a civilian employee of the Vatican, Emanuela Orlandi, vanished on June 22, 1983, after leaving her family's residence in Vatican City to attend a piano lesson in Rome. Numerous explanations have been proposed for her inexplicable disappearance in the 40-year-old case.
Connections to Pope John Paul II's attempted assassination in St. Peter's Square in 1981 and the global financial scandal involving the Vatican Bank are among the theories. Others claim that the case might have involved Rome's criminal underbelly.
The four-part Netflix documentary "Vatican Girl" explores these potential outcomes, which just came out and provided new information on the mysterious case. In the documentary, a friend testifies that Emanuela confided in her about unwanted approaches a high-ranking Vatican cleric made a week before she vanished.
The documentary has rekindled popular interest in the case, which continues to be one of Italy's most puzzling mysteries, while the inquiry is conducted under Vatican Chief Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi.
An article in New York Daily News reports that Pope John Paul II has come under fire for allegedly covering up child abuse. In response to these claims, Pope Francis vehemently denied any association between the late pope and the unresolved case of Emanuela Orlandi on Sunday. He made them two weeks after leaving a Roman hospital after a three-day stint for a respiratory ailment.
Pope Francis has enthusiastically participated in several Holy Week activities, such as celebrating Easter Sunday Mass, despite his current health issues. The Catholic Church is dedicated to defending the dignity of its leaders and safeguarding the principles of truth and justice, even while the Vatican looks into the Orlandi case and addresses the accusations against Saint John Paul II.
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