New perplexities about the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi

(April 14.2012) A top Vatican official has clearly and strongly repudiated accusations against the Vatican for lack of collaboration in tracing Emanuela Orlandi, whose family lives in Vatican territory. Jesuit father Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican Press Office was answering certain queries that had cropped up in the Italian press concerning the matter. Emanuela Orlandi is alleged to have been kidnapped on 22^nd June 1983, almost thirty years ago. She was only 15 years of age then. Many of those in the relevant Vatican offices at the time are no more available. All efforts to trace her or find the culprits have been in vain to date. Fr Lombardi witnessed to the fact that there were still many highly responsible persons who at the time knew about all the inquiries and are in a position to state categorically that the Vatican had never once refused collaboration with the Italian authorities looking into this case. The documents available with the Italian judiciary bore this out clearly. Pope John Paul II for one had appealed 8 times in one year calling for the release of Emanuela. The Pope had personally visited the family of Emanuela to show his concern. Fr Lombardi mentions also other high ranking prelates who could testify. And he assured all concerned that the Vatican had absolutely nothing to hide and was ever ready to collaborate with any new moves of the Italian officials in this matter.