Top Vatican priest in Paris facing 'sexual aggression' probe

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Top Vatican priest in Paris facing 'sexual aggression' probe

Associated Press | Friday, February 15, 2019 6:52 a.m.

AP Photo

People gather in St. Peter’s Square to attend a blessing by Pope Francis during the Angelus noon prayer he recited from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019.

PARIS — A French judicial official says the Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into alleged “sexual aggression” by Catholic priest Luigi Ventura, the Apostolic Nuncio to France.

Confirming a report published by Le Monde newspaper on Friday, the official said the investigation will be conducted by Paris police following an alleged incident inside the French capital’s town hall.

The official was not authorized to speak publicly because the investigation is ongoing.

According to Le Monde, Ventura, who has been holding the diplomatic post of the Holy See since 2009, is suspected of having sexually molested a young male employee at the City Hall during a ceremony of wishes on Jan. 17.

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