In the small Italian village of Pontasserchio, not far from the city of Pisa, there has been much controversy in recent years over the local priest Luca Marini.
When he first arrived in the city, Morini seemed like a pious, honest, and deeply religious man.
The truth should turn out to be completely different, writes The Guardian.
Parties, jewelry and luxury
Shortly after Morini arrived in the village, he was nicknamed “Don Euro”. According to several of the 2100 inhabitants of the village, Morini was fond of money.
He therefore pressured several older churchgoers for large sums of money, with promises that the money would go to the church.
In reality, Morini spent the money on parties, expensive jewelry, visits to sex clubs and expensive vacations with prostitutes, writes several Italian media.
Terrorist report on the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania: Priests are said to have abused more than 1,000 children
Convicted on several counts
On Wednesday, Luca Marini was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for buying sex and for blackmailing a Catholic bishop for several hundred thousand euros.
Morini was also convicted of posing as a judge, in an attempt to seduce male escorts.
The former servant of the Catholic Church was also charged with blackmailing a nun, selling drugs and money laundering.
He was not convicted on these counts.
Australian Commission: – Seven percent of Catholic priests are said to have sexually abused children
Police began investigating Morini as early as 2015, after one of the prostitutes he had bought services from reported him to the police.
Later made the TV show Hyenas a feature on Morini. They talked to four prostitutes from whom the priest had bought sexual services, and to residents of the village where Morini had his parish debt.
The TV show contributed to the final conviction of Morini, who will now spend the next few years behind bars.
–
