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".
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