Did Italian crime boss pay for burial in Roman basilica?

April 30, 2012

A notorious Italian crime figure was buried in a Roman basilica after his widow pledged about $660,000 to the Church, according to an anonymous Vatican source speaking to the ANSA news service.

Enrico De Pedis was widely identified as an organized-crime boss, but when he died in 1990 he was buried in the basilica of Sant’Apollinaire. Questions about that burial have re-surfaced recently because of rumors that his tomb may contain evidence regarding the fate of Emanuel Orlandi, the 15-year-old daughter of a Vatican employee, who disappeared in 1983.

The Vatican has announced that it has no objection to a prosecutor’s proposal to open the De Pedis tomb in search of a clue regarding the unsolved Orlandi case. At the same time, Church officials have indicated that the remains of the reputed criminal will be removed from the basilica to another burial place.

 

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Further information:

• Vatican 'accepted one billion lire' to bury crime boss in basilica next to former popes (Independent)
• Italian officials, investigating girl's disappearance, plan to open gangster's tomb (CWN, 4/25)