Vatican probe on Orlandi case to continue - Parolin

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 19 - Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told ANSA on Wednesday that the Vatican probe into the case of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old Vatican City resident who disappeared in 1983, will go ahead despite unfounded allegations made by her brother against Saint John Paul II.
    Speaking on La7 television last week, Pietro Orlandi talked of the late Polish pope going out at night with senior clergymen looking for girls.
    On Sunday Pope Francis blasted the "offensive and unfounded innuendo" and on Friday Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano hit out at the "anonymous, shameful accusations".
    Pietro Orlandi had met Vatican prosecutor Alessandro Diddi to talk about his sister's case last week.
    Parolin told ANSA that he was "very surprised" at the lack of "cooperation" but said that Pietro Orlandi's comments would not halt the investigation.
    "Our intention is to truly clarify things," he said.
    "I've seen that there has also been criticism of the initiative of the pope (to back the opening of a new probe).
    "But the Holy See's idea is to clarify things, to see what was done in the past, both on the Italian side and on the Vatican side, and see if something more than can be done.
    "I think that, above all, this is owed to the mum (of Emanuela Orlandi), who is still alive and suffers a great deal.
    "We are doing this with the best intentions". (ANSA).