ROME
Vatican Insider
Magistrates inspect the crypt of St. Apollinaris, where De Pedis, the leader of Banda della Magliana, is buried. According to Pietro Orlandi “that shameful burial is the true knot of the interlacing of State, Church and Crime”
Giacomo Galeazzi
Vatican City
The door that keads onto the piazza is closed off. From the courtyard of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, students come in dribs and drabs for Eucharistic adoration, and the rector of the basilica, Fr. Pedro Huidobro, has just put on his vestments. It is the first time in 29 years that Pietro Orlandi has set foot in the church that may hold the secret of the disappearance of his 14-year old sister. Buried inside the crypt is Banda Magliana boss Renatino De Pedis, and the Public Prosecutor of Rome has given the Vicariate “clearance” to inspect the tomb. It had already taken DNA from Pietro and the other family members of the girl from the Vatican City who vanished in front of the church assigned to Opus Dei, just a few steps from Piazza Navona and the Senate.
“The burial of the boss De Pedis in a place intended for popes and cardinals is, I think, the true knot of the interlacing between Church, State, and the criminals that took away my sister Emanuela 28 years ago,” says Pietro. The Acting Public Prosecutor of Rome, Giancarlo Capaldo, has met twice with the rector of St. Apollinaris, who has been very cooperative about opening the tomb which an anonymous tip said contains traces of Emanuela. “I am with you and your family, for you the doors of this church will always be open,” assured Father Huidobro, who is also a coroner, to Pietro Orlandi, who this afternoon will lead a demonstration in front of the basilica. “Like you, I also want the grave opened and want to shed light on this matter,” the rector added, expressing “respect and closeness for people who have suffered so much.”
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