Argentine `Mothers' Accuse Vatican Envoy of War Crimes.The Roman Catholic Church's role in Argentina's "dirty war" against dissidents was raised anew in May when a former Vatican envoy was accused of criminal complicity in the conflict. An Argentine group of parents known as Mothers of Plaza de Mayo The Plaza de Mayo (Spanish for May Square) is the main square in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina, at , asked the Italian Justice Ministry May 21 to prosecute Italian Cardinal Pio Laghi His Eminence Pio Cardinal Laghi (born May 21, 1922) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, whose service has been limited to the diplomatic service of the Holy See and to the Roman Curia. for his alleged role in the illegal repression of dissidents during Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship. The group said it could provide witnesses who saw Laghi, then the Vatican's diplomatic representative to Argentina, at government prisons and torture centers. During the dictatorship's rule, many leftist left·ism also Left·ism n. 1. The ideology of the political left. 2. Belief in or support of the tenets of the political left. left opponents of the regime were killed or disappeared mysteriously. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Religion News Service, Laghi said the accusations are "slanderous," and his actions as papal envoy during his 1974-1980 tenure are well documented. Because communism was considered a threat to Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. during those years, Laghi joined many bishops and priests in open support for the military dictatorship. The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo allege in their complaint that Laghi worked with the government to identify political dissidents who were subsequently tortured, killed and kidnapped. "Pio Laghi was the director of a crusade against communism that sent thousands of youths to their deaths," the group said in its complaint. The Vatican had no comment on the allegations. |
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