Scandal and Petitions: The Clerical Abuse Case Shaking Enna's Diocese

Vatican City - Contrary to the trend in Germany or France where the faithful mobilize outraged to ask the Vatican to remove those bishops who have transferred pedophile priests to other dioceses to protect them, in Italy things seem to be going the opposite way. This is demonstrated by the sensational case of Enna. These days, the incredible 'war' of petitions that broke out in the Sicilian diocese where a young priest has just been arrested by the law enforcement is causing scandal. The charge is serious, he is accused of having abused a minor who had been entrusted to him 'for reasons of instruction and education in the Catholic religion,' as stated in a press release from the Enna Police Station. Following this arrest, the Sicilian Prosecutor's Office has also launched an appeal to encourage other victims not to be afraid and to report. At the time of the abuses, the abused boy was just 16 years old. The nightmare began in 2009 and would continue until 2013. From the order applying the precautionary measure to the priest, it is clear that these violences were known to Bishop Rosario Gisana who, despite the protection of the minor, towards the end of 2019, had sent the alleged pedophile to another diocese - Ferrara - who not only continued to remain in contact with other boys but was later also ordained a priest by the Church of Enna. The investigation - The suspicion of a sexual deviation seems to be shared by Bishop Gisana himself who, following the news of the facts reported by the victim, arranged for the transfer of the suspect to Ferrara also in order to start him on a psychotherapeutic path. Moreover, the investigation has amply demonstrated how the sexual habits of the suspect have been and still are characterized by notes of perversion. From the analysis of the content of the religious's computer, it emerged, in fact, that he habitually surfs in a systematic and manic manner, at any time of the day and night, on average 60 times a day in the last ten months, in countless pornographic sites, traceable with the keyword 'teen' and that more recently he had homosexual relations with two young people just 19 years old. The petitions - After the arrest of the priest in the diocese of Enna, two opposing petitions started on the web that bounce from one site to another in search of subscriptions. The first is in solidarity with Bishop Gisana to defend him from the accusation of having covered up and transferred the abusive priest. Under a photo showing Gisana embracing Pope Francis, it reads that in the face of 'instrumental attacks by bloggers, aimed at denigrating and discrediting the work of the bishop in the case of priest Giuseppe Rugolo, the diocese of Enna-Piazza Armerina wants to gather around its shepherd to show him closeness and solidarity'. The second petition, on the other hand, always circulated on the web channels, of the opposite sign, invites Pope Francis to open his eyes and take measures towards this bishop who, despite having known from one of the victims - in 2014 - that there were violences involved, still transferred the priest to the North with the motivation of undergoing treatment. 'The Vatican should be consistent with the will of Pope Francis and remove Monsignor Gisana' is read in the petition. The first complaint that arrived at the diocese of Enna indeed led to a preliminary investigation by the ecclesiastical bodies and was entrusted to two priests of the Palermo tribunal, although it produced no outcome and ended in nothing due to lack of jurisdiction. The priest in question at the time was still a seminarian. However, in January of this year, the alleged victim was offered by the diocese of Enna led by Bishop Gisana, through Caritas, 25 thousand euros as possible compensation. Pope Francis - Today, speaking of covering bishops, the news arrived that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation from the pastoral government of the Diocese of Porto-Santa Rufina of Monsignor Gino Reali. The bishop - who is 73 years old, two years younger than the canonical retirement age - in a letter to the faithful of his diocese talks about 'health conditions' that do not allow to continue, 'active service'. However, it should be remembered that the diocese he led was involved in a well-known case of pedophilia, that of Don Ruggero Conti, and Monsignor Reali was accused by the victims precisely of favoritism.