“Vatican: Canada did not seek extradition for diplomat with porn charges ” & related article

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By  Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

October 13, 2017

Msgr. Carlo Capella, the Vatican diplomat recalled from service at the Vatican nunciature in Washington after U.S. investigators suspected him of involvement in child pornography, is pictured at the Vatican in 2015. Canadian authorities have charged Msgr. Capella of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography. Catholic News Service

“No request for extradition has come from Canada and no trial has been set at the Vatican” for the diplomat, Msgr. Carlo Capella, who had been working in the United States, said Greg Burke, Vatican spokesman, in a written statement Oct. 12.

The Vatican investigation “requires international collaboration, and it has not ended yet,” he added.

The Italian monsignor, who had been working at the Vatican nunciature in Washington, was first recalled to the Vatican after the U.S. State Department notified the Holy See Aug. 21 of his possible violation of laws relating to child pornography images.

“The Holy See, following the practice of sovereign states, recalled the priest in question, who is currently in Vatican City,” the press office said Sept. 15. The press office said that the Vatican promoter of justice, the chief prosecutor for Vatican City State, had opened an investigation into the matter and that it had begun “international collaboration to obtain elements relative to the case.”

Police in Canada then issued a nationwide arrest warrant Sept. 28 on charges of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography.

“Investigators believe that the offenses occurred while the suspect was visiting a place of worship in Windsor,” the police statement said. A spokesman for the Diocese of London, Ontario, which includes Windsor, confirmed at the time “that it was asked to, and did, assist in an investigation around suspicions involving Msgr. Capella’s possible violations of child pornography laws by using a computer address at a local church.”

While the Associated Press had reported that the U.S. State Department had asked the Vatican to lift the official’s diplomatic immunity and that that request was denied, the Vatican said no extradition request had come from Canada.

The latest Vatican statement came after ANSA, the Italian news agency, cited unnamed sources Oct. 12 saying that Msgr. Capella would not be extradited to Canada because of the suspect’s diplomatic immunity and that he would be tried in a Vatican tribunal.

Criminal charges against the Vatican diplomat were made possible after Pope Francis approved new and expanded criminal laws in 2013, which are applicable to all Vatican employees around the world. Any direct employee of the Holy See, which includes those working in a Vatican office or nunciature, can face a criminal trial at the Vatican as well as face criminal prosecution in the country where the crimes occurred.

The new amendments, which went into effect in September 2013, brought Vatican law into detailed compliance with several international treaties like the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Vatican’s updated laws define and set out penalties for specific crimes against minors, including child prostitution, sexual violence against children and producing or possessing child pornography.

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Vatican: Canada did not seek extradition for diplomat with porn charges

CRUX

13 October 2017

Carol Glatz

Vatican: Canada did not seek extradition for diplomat with porn chargesMonsignor Carlo Capella, the Vatican diplomat recalled from service at the Vatican nunciature in Washington after U.S. investigators suspected him of involvement in child pornography, is pictured at the Vatican in 2015. Canadian authorities have charged Capella of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography. (Credit: CNS.)

A Vatican spokesman has denied reports that the Holy See has refused to extradite to Canada a Vatican diplomat accused of possessing child pornography, stating no request has been made from the Canadian government. The statement came after ANSA, the Italian news agency, cited unnamed sources Oct. 12 saying that Capella would not be extradited to Canada because of the suspect’s diplomatic immunity and that he would be tried in a Vatican tribunal.

ROME – Canadian authorities did not request the extradition of a Vatican diplomat who has been charged by police in Canada of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography, a Vatican spokesman said.

“No request for extradition has come from Canada and no trial has been set at the Vatican” for the diplomat, Monsignor Carlo Capella, who had been working in the United States, said Greg Burke, Vatican spokesman, in a written statement Oct. 12.

The Vatican investigation “requires international collaboration, and it has not ended yet,” he added.The Italian monsignor, who had been working at the Vatican nunciature in Washington, was first recalled to the Vatican after the U.S. State Department notified the Holy See Aug. 21 of his possible violation of laws relating to child pornography images.

“The Holy See, following the practice of sovereign states, recalled the priest in question, who is currently in Vatican City,” the press office said Sept. 15. The press office said that the Vatican promoter of justice, the chief prosecutor for Vatican City State, had opened an investigation into the matter and that it had begun “international collaboration to obtain elements relative to the case.”

Police in Canada then issued a nationwide arrest warrant Sept. 28 on charges of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography.

“Investigators believe that the offenses occurred while the suspect was visiting a place of worship in Windsor,” the police statement said. A spokesman for the Diocese of London, Ontario, which includes Windsor, confirmed at the time “that it was asked to, and did, assist in an investigation around suspicions involving Msgr. Capella’s possible violations of child pornography laws by using a computer address at a local church.”

While the Associated Press had reported that the U.S. State Department had asked the Vatican to lift the official’s diplomatic immunity and that that request was denied, the Vatican said no extradition request had come from Canada.

The latest Vatican statement came after ANSA, the Italian news agency, cited unnamed sources Oct. 12 saying that Capella would not be extradited to Canada because of the suspect’s diplomatic immunity and that he would be tried in a Vatican tribunal.

Criminal charges against the Vatican diplomat were made possible after Pope Francis approved new and expanded criminal laws in 2013, which are applicable to all Vatican employees around the world. Any direct employee of the Holy See, which includes those working in a Vatican office or nunciature, can face a criminal trial at the Vatican as well as face criminal prosecution in the country where the crimes occurred.

The new amendments, which went into effect in September 2013, brought Vatican law into detailed compliance with several international treaties like the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Vatican’s updated laws define and set out penalties for specific crimes against minors, including child prostitution, sexual violence against children and producing or possessing child pornography.

 

5 Responses to “Vatican: Canada did not seek extradition for diplomat with porn charges ” & related article

  1. Sylvia says:

    While the Associated Press had reported that the U.S. State Department had asked the Vatican to lift the official’s diplomatic immunity and that that request was denied, the Vatican said no extradition request had come from Canada.

    Is this much ado about nothing? I really don’t understand. If Canada were to request a waiver of Monsignor Capeall’s diplomatic immunity would the Vatican in turn extradite him to face his criminal charges here in Canada? A big big part of me doubts it, but ….. we shall see.

  2. MS says:

    This is all so repulsive! A Canon Law lawyer? A secure position to do what he does. How they position themselves!

  3. Mike Fitzgerald says:

    MS – position is EVERYTHING with this organization. It has little to do with God’s law – it has EVERYTHING to do with money, and power over the masses. I would suggest you google the history of the church, including the period of inquisition and Pope Pius 1X and the truth will be bare. Mike.

  4. Rachael O'Reilly says:

    Why we are debating the issue of ‘diplomatic immunity’ or ‘waivers’. We are dealing with a “state’ about the size of a golf course. Why do we continue with the fiction that the Vatican is an “independent state”. It is a throwback to the 19th century wars referred to as the Risorgimento and the Unification of the Italian peninsula. Deals done with Mussolini in the first quarter of the 20th century are hardly likely to inspire confidence with the eventual ‘official’recognition of a hilltop basilica with some adjoining land as an ‘independent state;

    Stop this charade and the subsequent dodging in the name of an phony ‘independent state’ and get this monsignor back to face charges- pronto.

    • BC says:

      Christ said that his kingdom was not of the world but he nevertheless subjected himself to international law which in the part of the world where he was wanted and arrested was the rule of law of the Roman Empire. There is nothing Christian about a senior Vatican official evading jurisdiction. I suppose Monsignor Carlo Capella confessed his sins to his confessor as soon as he arrived in Vatican City and that’s that. Priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church is the ideal job for perverts and it’s no wonder that it attracted and still attracts so many of them.

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