More on Italian Police Investigations of those who Disagree

Excerpts from Rorate Caeli

A well-informed Vatican journalist, Marco Tosatti, has brought to light a new and astonishing case: [Rorate translation]

Some days ago, the Carabinieri arrived at the home of Francesco Colafemmina, one of the most assiduous Catholic writers on sacred art, with a summons for him and his wife on an apparently serious judiciary charge. It regards an accusation made by Father Alfonso Bruno of the Neo-Franciscans of the Immaculate, against the blog “Fides et Forma”, of which Colafemmina’s wife is the user-holder.

It would appear that the blog is guilty of having criticized too harshly the intervention of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, and in particular Father Alfonso Bruno , defined as “ a traitor” because of his “turn-about” against the founder of the Institute, Father Stefano Maria Manelli.

Read it all at Rorate Caeli

Troika Over the Franciscans of the Immaculate — Who is Mario Castellano, Really?

Excerpts from Eponymous Flower

(Rome) A year ago, on 29 July 2013, the provisional government of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI) was announced.  Nine days before, Katholisches.info had just reported on the opening of a new monastery that the Order was still in flower. The decree of the Congregation of Religious was signed with the approval of Pope Francis on July 11th.  Since August 11, the Order has been prohibited the celebration in the traditional form of the Roman rite. Its fate now lies in the hands of a triumvirate: which was set up by the Congregation of Religious’ Apostolic Commissioner Father Fidenzio Volpi, OFM Cap, the Franciscan “parricide” Father Alfonso Bruno (FI) and a hitherto barely visible, but the more active eccentric figure, who was active as a consultant with the criminal action against the Order: “Professor” Mario Castellano. Who is Mario Castellano? This question was asked by Emmanuele Barbieri for Corrispondenza Romana. What he was doing is astonishing as summarized here.

Get the details at Eponymous Flower

Police in Italy now Used to Intimidate and Censor Critics of Persecution of Franciscans of the Immaculate

Excerpts from Rorate Caeli

From the United States, we have been sent the text of a letter in which Francesco Colafemmina, the owner of a blog widely known and followed in the ecclesial camp, “Fides et Forma”, tells his story: and that was being summoned, with his wife, by the Carabinieri [the Italian Gerdarmerie, the Carabinieri are the national military armed police corps and one of the four Armed Forces of the Italian military] following an accusation of defamation by Father Alfonso Bruno, the right-hand man of the Commissioner of the Franciscans of the Immaculate [Father Fidenzio Volpi]. This is Italy! This is the Vatican! The letter was in English, the translation is ours.

 by Marco Tosatti

[senior religious correspondent for Italian daily] La Stampa

July 29, 2014

Read all the details at Rorate Caeli.