The Vatican is promising to get to the bottom of a case involving one of its diplomats.
Kicking off a conference in Rome Tuesday concerning the protection of children from online sexual abuse, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin made a reference to Msgr. Carlo Capella, who has been the subject of a Canada-wide warrant stemming from a child pornography investigation based in Windsor.
Multiple news sources quote Cardinal Parolin describing the case as "very painful" and he vowed to get all the facts on Capella, who has been recalled by the Vatican.
In his subsequent keynote address to the "Child Dignity in the Digital World" conference held at Georgian University, Parolin says the Catholic Church wants to use the information it has gathered on internet sexual abuse to educate and inform.
"The church has become increasingly aware of the harm experienced by the victims, of their suffering and of the need to listen to them, in order to work on various fronts," says Parolin in remarks transcribed by Vatican Radio. "These include a wide range of interventions which must be carried out in order to heal wounds, restore justice, prevent crimes and form educators and persons who deal with minors, with a view to spreading and consolidating a new culture of child protection – a real safeguarding – that effectively guarantees they can grow up in a healthy and safe environment."
The case in question took place in December 2016, according to Windsor Police, who had been notified by the RCMP that child pornography had been uploaded from a social-networking site at a Windsor house of worship. Police believe no local children were involved.
A nationwide warrant was issued for Capella last Thursday on charges of accessing, possessing, and distributing child pornography. The New York Times had reported that Capella was working out of the Vatican's embassy in Washington, DC and had been recalled to Vatican City.
The Vatican issued a statement indicating that it was made aware of the case by the US State Department and that Capella could face trial at the Vatican. Under a decree signed in 2013 by Pope Francis, Capella could face 12 years in prison and a fine of up to 250,000 euros, or $367,000 Canadian, if convicted.
Anyone with information on the child pornography case in Windsor should call the Windsor police at (519) 255-6700, ext. 4896 or Crime Stoppers at (519) 258-8477 (TIPS) to remain anonymous.
-With files from Kirk Dickinson
