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11 October 2011
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Two Italians who say they were sexually abused by priests have completed a 340-mile (550-kilometer) protest march to the Vatican and demanded an independent inquiry.
The journey from Savona in northern Italy to St. Peter’s Square took 19 days. Francesco Zanardi and Alberto Sala arrived in Vatican City on Tuesday, where they tried unsuccessfully to obtain an audience with the pope.
They handed over a letter demanding the Italian bishops’ conference open the inquiry into priestly sex abuse and draft norms requiring pedophiles be defrocked “without exception.” They want any bishop who leaves abusers in ministry to be removed.
The Vatican has given the Italians and all other bishops’ conferences until May to draft norms.
Zanardi complained that the pope had never met with Italian victims of abuse yet has met with victims on trips to the U.S., Malta, Britain, Australia and most recently Germany.
The Associated Press doesn’t identify people who claim they’re sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly, as Zanardi and Sala have done.
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Walking 350 miles, victim asks to meet pope
National Catholic Reporter
11 October 2011
By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
Zanardi, 41, set off from Savona, Italy, Sept. 22 and walked almost all the way to Rome. He said he was abused by a priest when he was about 10 years old, but by the time he reported it to police in 2007, the statue of limitations had expired.
Although more victims of the same priest came forward in 2010 and police are now investigating, Zanardi said, “this priest is still free. He lives in an apartment owned by the church.”
The Italian police who patrol St. Peter’s Square stopped Zanardi and Alberto Sala, president of an Italian organization that cares for abused children, Oct. 11 at a checkpoint. The men were unable to deliver Zanardi’s letter to the Bronze Doors of the Apostolic Palace, but a Vatican employee accepted the letter.
“All accusations should be investigated and accused priests should be isolated from children during the investigation,” Zanardi said.
In addition, he said, “it’s important to respond to the victims — they need an incredible amount of help. It’s taken me 20 years to overcome the trauma and that’s fast. I wanted to die. Victims feel they are at fault, that they are dirty. They need help.”
Zanardi said it isn’t right that Pope Benedict has met with victims from the United States, Australia, England and Germany, but not victims from Italy. In fact, he said, while his registered letters have reached the Vatican, he has never had a response from the pope or any Vatican official.
In addition to asking for a meeting with the pope and for the application of Vatican norms, Zanardi also wants the Vatican to hand over its files of accusations to legal officials in the countries where abuse is alleged to have taken place.
Bishops are obliged to report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith accusations against priests that appear well-founded.
Well done Francesco Zanardi and Alberto Sala! I pray that your quest does not fall on deaf ears.