Religious News - Vatican defends reputation of ex-banker

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Vatican defends reputation of ex-banker

The Vatican says claims that the former head of the Vatican bank was involved in kidnapping a teenage girl in 1985 are "infamous."

Monsignor Paul Marcinkus, the U.S. priest who headed the Institute for Religious Works at the time, "has been dead for some time and cannot defend himself," the Catholic Church said in a statement.

The claims are believed to have come from leaked testimony by Sabrina Minardi, ex-wife of soccer star Bruno Giordano and later girlfriend of Enrico De Pedis, a Roman mobster, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Minardi is said to have testified that De Pedis was behind the kidnapping of Emanuela Orlandi, the 15-year-old daughter of a Vatican employee.

The girl's body was never found. Minardi said she believed De Pedis concealed it in a cement mixer.

Minardi said she believed De Pedis arranged the kidnapping as a favor to Marcinkus, who had allegedly helped the Magliana gang launder money.

Marcinkus had been involved in controversy earlier because of his ties to Roberto Calvi, head of the Banco Ambrosiano of Milan. Marcinkus died in 2006 in Arizona, some years after returning to the United States.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 06/25/2008

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