CATANIA – SICILY (ITALY)
La Stampa
December 1, 2017
By Fabio Albanese, Translated by Anna Martinelli
One of the minors who refused and reported everything was isolated from the community of faithful, very devoted to the priest
For at least three years a priest who worked in the parish of a working-class district of Villaggio Sant’Agata, on the southern outskirts of Catania, would have abused children who were entrusted to him. Not only he would frighten those who did not want to undergo his “rites”, carried out with a great deal of holy oil. The Carabinieri (one of Italy’s police corps e.d.) arrested him this morning: Padre Pio Guidolin is accused of aggravated sexual violence against minors.
According to investigations, the priest, who for some time had already been subject to precautionary measures by the Curia of Catania, exploited his role and, “took advantage of the particularly fragile situation of several children (under 14 years of age), with challenging backgrounds, by forcing them to undergo and perform sexual acts, as he rubbed them with holy oil (removed from the premises of the Church), claiming his acts had a spiritual sense that could “purify them” and take “their sufferings” away .
The investigation found that one of the children had refused to submit to these “rites” and revealed the abuses but, for this reason he was isolated from the community of the faithful, very devoted to the priest. But it gets worse: when the rumors turned into solid suspicions, and some parents were ready to denounce, Father Pio would in order to stop them, boasted ties within the mafia, as a way to intimidate them and have them back down. One of the parents, however, was denounced for personal aiding and abetting because, after his son was heard by investigators, he had informed the priest about the investigation.
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