YAHOO NEWS– The latest sex abuse case to rock the Catholic Church is unfolding in
the archdiocese of an influential Italian Cardinal, who has been
working with Pope Benedict XVI on reforms to respond to prior scandals
of pedophile priests.
Father Riccardo Seppia, a 51 year-old parish priest in the village of Sastri Ponente, near Genoa, was arrested last Friday on pedophilia and drugs charges. Investigators say that in tapped mobile phone conversations Seppia asked a Moroccan drug dealer to arrange sexual encounters with young and vulnerable boys. “I do not want 16-year-old boys, but younger. Fourteen-year-olds are OK. Look for needy boys, who have family issues,” he allegedly said. Genoa Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco, who is also head of the Italian Bishops Conference, had been working with Benedict to establish a tough new worldwide policy released this week on how bishops should handle accusations of priestly sex abuse.
Bagnasco said when he met the Pope this weekend he “asked for a particular blessing for my archdiocese,” in light of the accused crimes, adding that “like every father toward a son (feels) great pain in seeing a priest who is not faithful to his vocation.”
Read full article about Priest Sex Abuse Case Hits Archdiocese Powerful Cardinal.
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God Bless you all! I hope your community counitnes to grow; my wife and I are looking to retire in that part of the world about 5 years from now (I’m in the military, still a ways till retirement). Will search for info on your website, but where can someone donate to your parish?Thank you!Alex