ITALY
International Business Times
By Mark Hanrahan @markdhanrahanm.hanrahan@ibtimes.com on October 24 2014
Pope Francis is to send a special administrator to take charge of an Italian diocese where priests have been accused of a spate of crimes including theft and sexual abuse. The diocese has been seen as hosting a number of so-called “playboy priests,” who often broke the law.
The appointment of an “apostolic administrator” follows a report on the diocese of Albenga-Imperia in northern Italy by papal envoy Monsignor Adriano Bernardini, according to a report in The Times of London. The paper reports that one priest in the diocese was jailed for four years for running a prostitution ring, while another posted naked photographs of himself on a gay website.
The scandals took place during the tenure of Bishop Mario Oliveri who, while not accused of any wrongdoing personally, is regarded as having recruited a number of priests with checkered personal histories, according to a report from The Telegraph.
When asked by the paper about the scandals, the bishop reportedly said: “I don’t want to talk about it – it’s not the right time.” The Vatican also reportedly said that it would not comment on an ongoing investigation.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.