OUR Pope Francis denounced “offensive and unsubstantiated insinuations” that Pope John Paul II’s predecessor went out at night looking for underage girls.

The pontiff’s comments, made during a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, were aimed at Pietro Orlanti, her then-brother. 15-year-old Emanuela, who mysteriously disappeared in June 1983. returning home from flute lessons in Rome.

The Orlanti family lived in the Vatican, where his father was an employee in the papal residence. In January, the Vatican reopened the case. missing minor who, over these four decades, set fire to many theorieswithout research gave clear answers.

Last week, during interrogation by the Vatican prosecutor’s office, Orlanti presented audio material which allegedly included a conversation between a journalist and the head of a Roman criminal organization suspected of being involved in Emanuela’s disappearance. In the audio document, the head of the criminal organization hints that Rev. Karol Josef Wojtyla went out at night with senior clergy in search of teenage girls..

Some of that audio was then broadcast on an Italian TV show that included an interview with Orlandi. “I was informed that Wojtyła sometimes went out in the evenings with two Polish monsignors and, of course, not to bless the houses,” said, among other things, the brother of the missing Emanuela.

His comments were immediately condemned by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, which spoke of “anonymous, shameful accusations, tantamount to insanity.”

“Confident that I am interpreting the sentiments of all believers throughout the world, I honor the memory of Saint John Paul II, who is today the object of offensive and non-existent insinuations.» the pontiff remarked characteristically.

Orlanti told the LaPresse news agency that several people informed him of John Paul’s alleged nighttime outings, although a key informant has since died.

He said he did not blame the former pope, who was canonized in 2014, for this. violence or pedophilia, acknowledging that he provided the audio recording to the prosecution as part of his obligation to fully investigate the case.

The decision to reopen the Emanuela case follows the release of the documentary The Vatican Girl on Netflix, which outlines various theories about the case.

Source: Guardian