(Rome) Father Fidenzio Volpi, with the approval of Pope Francis in July 2013, has surprised again and again as Apostolic Commissioner of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, although rarely in a positive way. The Apostolic Commissioner has changed his mind and withdrew his signature on the agreement with the family of FFI Founder Father Stefano Maria Manelli.
This past February 12 Commissioner Volpi and the family Manelli had agreed following a mediation in civil matters (mediazione civile). The blog Le pagine di Don Camillo, who first reported on the agreement, falsely wrote about a "patteggiamento", a specialized institution of the Italian Code of Criminal Procedure, and has since apologized. Since 2010, Italy has recognized in implementation of an EU directive mediation in civil matters, which serves to resolve disputes wherever possible on a voluntary basis, without letting it come to a trial. The mediation takes place before court-appointed mediators at the registered office of the competent court.
FEBRUARY 12: The Admission of Guilt by the Commissar
This past February 12 at 11 clock before the Court Mediator at the District Court of Rome, the family members of Father Manelli and their lawyer Davide Perrotta as plaintiff on the one side and on the other side the Apostolic Commissioner Fidenzio Volpi and his lawyers Alessandra Böcklin and Edoardo Boitani as defendant. The mediation took place in the proceedings pending before the District Court of Rome, First Civil Chamber of litigation for defamation of Manelli family by Commissioner Volpi (see Commissioner Volpi admits a slander ).
At the end of the mediation, both parties signed an agreement with Commissar Volpi who apologized and explained that with respect to the family Manelli nothing applied to what he had written in his circular letter dated 8 December-2013. The Manelli family had "absolutely nothing to do with any unlawful act."
The obligations of the Commissar
This public apology would have until March 3rd according the agreement, to be published on the message news agency AGI and on the website of the Order immacolata.com. On the website it would have to be visible for at least three consecutive months in a clear presentation as other published notices on the issue. In addition, the Commissar was to have informed all monks and nuns, with his apology in a circular. Volpi undertook all attorneys' fees and agreed to pay the family Manelli a compensation of 20,000 euros. Everything by 3rd March. "Can there be even more guilt?" Said Riscossa Cristiana.
Volpi's admission is legally and morally significant. In addition to the legal question before a court of law, the Commissar admitted with having violated the Eighth Commandment. Thus, the credibility of the Apostolic Commissioner is badly hit. Many blogs have pointed this out following the mediation agreement.
February 18: The anger of the Commissioner and an incendiary letter
But that seems to have so annoyed the Apostolic Commissioner because of the damage to his image that is now breaking like porcelain. Referring to the report, he has withdrawn his signature to the agreement again. Instead of writing the court warranted apology, Commissar Volpi has sent an new urgent letter on the 18th February to all members of the religious order.
In the newsletter, he withdrew his admission and told the brothers and sisters of his "will" that he would "not to comply with the signed statement" because he "no longer considers it valid because of serious non-compliance by the other party." But Volpi does not say just what the "serious non-compliance" with the family Manelli happens to be. In the written mediation agreement (copy of the original document 1 )) of 12 February 2015, there is no statement obliging the family Manelli as the complainant in the proceedings. Unlike in the mediation agreement, the Commissar has now returned to his initial allegations and is shooting fire arrows at the family Manelli.
"Little credible" Justification of the Commissioner
The Commissar, as is evident from his incendiary letter, is incensed because the matter became public. "The fact that the news of the agreement signed by Commissioner Volpi would reach the public, was easily foreseeable," said Corrispondenza Romana. However, Volpi may have hoped that certain details, such as the payment of € 20,000 to the family Manelli, would not become known. In addition, the Commissioner was faced with new demands for his resignation. In the circular letter of 18 February he writes now that he has always been considered "innocent". He only agreed "pro bono Pacis" and "in a spirit of brotherhood seraphic" the agreement of 12 February, which was just for the sake of peace. "A statement of little credibility," said Riscossa Cristiana, given the clear and unilateral commitments into which he entered.
The fact is that Commissar Volpi has not been convicted by any court. The mediation was voluntary. "However, the agreement of 12 February exists and is signed by Father Volpi. The signature may indeed be withdrawn, so is no longer in effect," said Cristiana Riscossa.
Commissioner Volpi is receiving a monthly € 5,000 allowance for his provisional activity, according to Italian media. A message that has never been disowned. The sum is to be paid by the Order of Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. Soon, the Commissioner will have to stand trial. With his circular letter, he made it clear that he wants it to come to a trial in this dispute. There, too, the mediation agreement will play a role. The legal costs of the Commissioner shall be borne by the Order.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Corrispondenza Romana
Image: Corrispondenza Romana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG
34 comments:
Unless the formal court-approved Agreement obliged the Manelli family not to publish to a third party, the fact of, or the contents of, the agreement, Fr Volpi would appear to be in breach of the Agreement.
And anyone can seriously believe anything this destroyer says? His word means nothing.
The FFI pays Volpi €5,000 to destroy them and his legal fees for the pleasure of counter-suing them??? This is insult added to injury.
Volpi is scum.
...lying weasel.
'Tis also a form of insanity...
They've lost the faith (the rebels - if they ever truly had it - it serves the purposes of their own ego-aims - know the type? ) so they have lost their "Catholic" minds ...it is quite obvious the rebels do not self-examine...their religion is all a facade...empty ...as their ego is all over the place. Franciscans? Hardly? ..It's what they DO that must be focused on not what they SAY ...and of course "the fruits" of their efforts to "serve the Immaculate" ... what the rebels say they are doing - borders on blasphemy......Franciscans behaving like dissenters rebels do? They're doomed...for sure...(not talking about hell here (who am I to judge?) but their religious vocation)...
Terrible times all round in the Church...and only traditional Catholics ( a minority) are aware of the injustices perpetrated on the FFI ...as the majority mainstream are quite oblivious or whistling in the dark...
Only Catholics who truly understand Catholic Tradition care about this situation ...being a minority they order is eefectively destroyed....I mean who would want to join it and be under obedience to the likes of Padre Volpi and the others who overthrew their Father superior - a true son of Padre Pio... .?
...
R.
You've only got to look at Volpi to know he's a wrong 'un.
Yes, it's truly diabolic. And what's more so is the silence of the good cardinals and bishops about it. They should be condemning this blatant injustice with zeal and authority.
The FFI is like the whole Church in microcosm, speeded up many times. The satanic infiltration and takeover.
Blessed Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle . . .
Commissar Volpi's credibility? C'mon, don't make me laugh, if this guy is credible, well, call me Cleopatra.....God bless+
According to Father Angelo of Maria Victrix Father Volpi is sticking with his original allegations as made in the letter of 8th December 2013 including the charge of embezzlement. I know nothing of Italian law but it would be interesting to know the status of the agreement which both parties signed. Is it a public document which is lodged with the Court and available to all? If this matter goes to Court I would have thought the Manelli family could plead estoppel pointing to the agreement. But perhaps it did have a confidentiality clause (which personally I do not like) which the Manelli family have broken? Even so I would have thought the Judge would take into account the fact that Volpi signed the agreement. In that case he might disallow the damages but still give judgement in favour of the Manellis. Interesting stuff!
Here's a copy of the agreement, signed by both parties. Unfortunately, my Italian is very limited.
http://www.riscossacristiana.it/newwebsite/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/zzverbale.pdf
Lynda, no, the article clearly states that "there is no statement obliging the family Manelli as the complainant in the proceedings."
Possibly there was a verbal commitment of the Manelli family to remain discreet in order not to humiliate Volpi a bit more. Anyways this would have been purely formal since soon or late the details of the signed agreement would have leaked to the public.
Amazing! Unless someone is into forging official documents this looks the genuine thing stamped and certified by the Organisation for Forensic Mediation in Rome. My Italian is rudimentary but it seems to be saying that Volpi is admitting that the 'Manelli Family' were not involved in any of the transactions regarding the property of the Institute. He agrees to pay Euros 20,000 etc. There does not seem to be any confidentiality clause and this looks like what in the U.K. is called an 'office copy' i.e. you go along to the court and on payment of a fee you can get a copy of certain documents in any proceedings before the Court. Unless there is some confidentiality requirement in the legislation governing the mediation service then I cannot see any reason why the Manelli family should not have published it if they did. On the other hand maybe some third party or journalist just asked the service for a copy.
A word of caution. Several members of the Manelli family jointly sued Father Volpi presumably claiming that the Manelli family as a whole were involved in the matter. Here he is withdrawing that charge but maybe he is still charging some individual member of the Manelli family such as the founder's brother in law. One would have to examine the document carefully to see whether there is any prominent member of the family who has been left out of the list of plaintiffs. Still if that was the case one would have thought that the document would mention that it did not apply to certain individual members of the family and I cannot see that.
Still maybe I have misinterpreted the document as my Italian is rudimentary.
I cannot help feeling that Father Volpi is very ill-advised to renege on this agreement and it really does not do him any good to do so.
It seems a bit disingenuous that since he had to apologize publicly not only on FFI publications, but also in the press itself that he has any right to be surprised that there was publicity.
I think I agree with what Nardi is saying that he's really angry about the negative publicity he's receiving as well as the calls for his resignation.
"Volpi si è messo nei guai".
Volpi has put himself in the crap up to his bloody neck.
He has signed a paper in which he acknowledges having lied and slandered. But that is not enough for him: A lie calls another lie.
Cardinal Kasper was caught red-handed lying too.
Unfortunately these men still look to have the pope's confidence. Sad times for the RCC...
Soon or late the scandal will rebound up to Francis... after the FFI order has disappeared. Only this matters for the wolves in sheep's clothes, isn't it?
Nicolas, you are saying it yourself: " The Manelli family were not involved".
That means the family in a whole, not even one of his members.
jac: You are right. It does say that the allegations against the family are withdrawn so this would extend to all members of the family not just the individual plaintiffs who have brought the action.
The agreement lists the plaintiffs who are all called Manelli except for the last - Antonino Allocce (if I have spelt it correctly). Could he be the brother-in-law who would have a different family name?
There is no direct reference to the letter of 8th December 2013 but to something happening on 13th December and publication of something on the Institute's official website in January 2014 (3rd or 31st - not clear). Can anyone shed light on this?
Going back to the letter of 8th December 2013 his allegations go wider:
"It concerns the transfer of the control of movable and immovable goods of the Institute to members
of the laity, persons known to be spiritual children or relatives of the Founder, Fr. Stefano M.
Manelli, as well as to the parents of various sisters."
I wonder what these others will do now in view of all this?
I know the Italian well, but since the agreement document is hand written, it is difficult enough for me to read it. In my opinion, the term "Manelli family" includes also the brother-in-law of Fr Stefano, whom Volpi doesn't target more than the others in his letter dated dec 8th 2013.
Diabolical Disorientations...Bishops against Bishops...Priests against Priests. We have all read those comments, now, we are living them.
"Volpi is scum."
And by extension (because he's who ordered it all), so is Pope Francis.
Why is it that no one is blaming him? Volpi is nothing but a messenger. Francis is the real evil.
....pretty much.
Take a good look at Matthew 5: 22, the bit about calling your brother 'fool'...etc. Or are you exempted from that part?
Just in case anyone is interested I did have some exchanges with Father Angelo on his website Maria Victrix but he has declined to allow my last comment where I said he had misread my previous comment wherein I said that all I knew about the alleged misdeeds within the FFI was what I had read in Father Volpi's letter. Fr Angelo did send me an email saying why he had not allowed my comment and I responded. Evidently he feels all this is not our business.
For myself I have no knowledge of what has really happened within the Institute but I have seen no evidence to support Father Volpi's case. However what we have seen is the behaviour of Father Volpi. He is still sticking with all his allegations according to Father Angelo. He has had an action for defamation started against him. I see the agreement with the Manellis as a cynical attempt to squash the legal action by buying them off whilst maintaining his accusations. I would have thought that any Judge would regard his actions as an abuse of legal process and a contempt of court if he, Father Volpi, attempts to sue anybody in view of his rejection of the agreement.
I would guess that if he has a half-decent lawyer he will be reading some very unwelcome advice.
I do not know how things work in Italy but in England the action by the Manellis would terminate with the agreement being read in open court. Unless he wanted a visit from the Tipstaff or the Under-Sheriff's Office he would be well advised to comply with the agreement.
Father Volpi claimed in his letter of 18th February that he had entered into the agreement "pro bono Pacis" nello spirito di e fraternità del Serafico"
Well if that is an example of Franciscan fraternity I would put it in the same pigeonhole as Charlie Hebdo's fraternité towards Muslims, Catholics etc. It certainly makes one wonder about the validity of his accusations.
Ahhh yes, I forgot; protestants like to agenda proof-text.
Try this: Who said the following in speaking of others?....
"Hypocrites!" (numerous times)
"whitewashed tombs!"
"brood of vipers!"
"Satan!"
"blind fools!"
"child of hell!"
"You serpents!"
and as I recall, this Person said these, and more, to the highest priests, scribes and teachers of the law because they were mangling the word of God, plotting to kill the Son of God, and people were going to hell because of them.....(gee, why does all that sound familiar to me?)
Grow the hell up....and "judge with right judgment".
Fr. Geiger was a big instigator of the divisions within the Institute going back several years. He himself has admitted publicly to secret meetings, etc. that were against his founders. He is now continuing to defend the indefensible. He has seen the ruin of his own Order and the suffering of many of his brothers but still claims the high road. Amazing. His attacks against 'rad trads' goes back several years and he fostered divisions and disobedience among others. He had a position of authority and trust. And now there is all kinds of sin and disobedience--enough on both sides. There is NO unity. Many must stay with the Institute because they are forced to. A number did get out and the 'powers that be' do their best to not let them find another order or place to live out their holy vocations. Unless something happens--a new pope?--the rest of the Institute will not survive at this time. But one day there will be a revival. All of this is also an attack against The Blessed Mother and in the end she wins out.
I wrote the above response. And then after I sent it I realized I am just as guilty as others of keeping the divisions going. There are hard feelings on both sides of this issue. And to continue to throw stones at the other side serves no good effect. Today I will pray for those on the other side including Padre Volpi and others. If I express my own hard feelings, it makes me just as guilty as those who hold fast to defending their positions of division. I have followed this situation from the beginning. I have certain ties to the Institute. The whole thing has been heartbreaking. But my caustic comments do not help.
Lol, are they true? Do they need to be said? He doesn't sound reasonable to me. He says that it's no one's business but the order, but I think others are very interested in this, since it has been demonstrably unjust and that other orders so inclined may expect the same treatment. This is especially the case in the light of +Bergoglio's comments about traditionalist seminarians being unbalanced psychologically, which strongly suggests the malignant backdrop against which the destruction of this once flourishing order took place.
I find the whole self-flagilation for speaking the truth a truly bizarre phenomenon, and a total distortion of justice. You are putting truth and lie on the same plane, and giving right and wrong equal respect. There was nothing caustic about your first comment. You were speaking statements of truth that bring injustice and unholy tyranny into the light. That is a good thing. Please people, stop the breast-beating when you speak a truth against evil, and those who place themselves in-league with evil. They are worthy only of derision and exposure. That is an act of justice to the innocent.
Very likely it's not really the person who made the first post.
5,000 euros per month??? He's a Franciscan is he not? How does a monthly income far in excess of what I, as a mid-level employee of a Fortune 50 company, make in any way accord with a vow a poverty? Good grief!
It does seem rather odd. Is it his own order that is paying a salary to him? Does he get free board and lodging as well? Will he not be paying tax on this salary or perhaps they do not have income tax in the Vatican? I would have thought that a Franciscan would get free board and lodging, any proper expense paid and some pocket money to enable him to buy toothpaste or suchlike from time to time.
Econe is just down the road.
Anonymous Feb, 23, 4:25 AM, You say, "I am just as guilty as others of keeping the divisions going". I could not disagree with you more with this statement. There are divisions and they were not caused by traditional Catholics, they were caused by those who are enslaved with the Modernist heresy, and in their heresies they falsely accuse us of being the ones causing division only because we oppose error. St. John Paul ll said that when Bishops, Priests etc... are causing damage to the Church we have the right to speak out, at times the obligation. In keeping silent in the face of heresy we become partakers of it, and we will have to answer to God's justice. Can you imagine Christ saying to us, when I and my Church were being defiled and ravaged you remained silent, allowing the least of my brothers to be led astray. Take this as an encouragement to speak out against those who damage the Church with their Modernism and Apostasy.
Very well stated, Susan!
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