A Priest Convicted Of Molesting 17 Children Is Giving Mass In Bormla
A Bormla-born priest found guilty of abusing and molesting 17 children aged between 10 and 14 in Italy and being in possession of child porn is giving mass in his hometown on special occasions. Fr Felix Cini was given a lifetime ban after pleading guilty to a number of sexual accusations that landed him a suspended jail term of two years and six months.
And now, he is back in Malta.
The Maltese Curia told ManuelDelia.com that Cini was “presently in Malta to assist his ailing mother.” They also said that Cini is “incardinated” in the diocese of Grosseto in Italy, where the Bishop there “informed the Archdiocese of Malta that Fr Cini asked to come to Malta to be with his mother”.
Cini can be seen on the right
Photo: Cospicua Parish
It is being reported that Cini is allowed to hold mass on “special occasions”
When confronted with Father Cini’s past as a serial sexual abuser of 17 children, the Curia said: “the parish priest of Cospicua is informed about the situation and of the limited ministry exercised by Fr Cini, who can only concelebrate Mass if he is granted permission. The Archbishop authorised Fr Cini to concelebrate Mass in exceptional circumstances such as funerals of relatives and neighbours, and other special occasions of the parish.”
However, it was reported that the Bormla congregation see Cini as a full-time priest, and not limited to smaller roles.
Cini was spotted in the Bormla procession celebrating Pentecost this year, where he led a number of young children for their communion.
Cini was kicked out of an Italian village in 2010 after abusing children there
He had served as a priest in Malta between 1995 and 1996, before moving to Italy. In 2003, he was working in Cinigiano in Tuscany, when he was arrested after a court order was issued. 17 witnesses between the ages 10 and 14 accused him of abuse and testified against him, forcing him to accept a plea deal offered by prosecutors to avoid any jail time.
The court banned him from ever working with minors for life, and the parish bishop suspended his priesthood. Yet, six years later, he became the parish priest of Cercemaggiore in the Molise province of Southern Italy, where local parents found out about his past.
The parents forced Cini out of the parish in Cercemaggiore, and the Vatican ordered Cini to stay away from the parish and to not work within contact of any children or minors.
He has now returned to Malta and, as seen in the Bormla Pentecost procession, is working in close proximity with minors.
What do you think should happen to Fr Cini?
READ NEXT: 65-Year-Old Man Given 25 Years In Jail In ‘One Of The Worst Cases Of Child Abuse’ In Maltese History
