88-year-old nun arrested in Palermo for million-euro fraud against worshippers
Antonina Cataldo, 88, has been arrested in Palermo for defrauding vulnerable worshippers, extorting hundreds of thousands of euros. Victims were persuaded to pay for "blessed objects" and luxury gifts to ward off misfortune.
88-year-old nun arrested in Palermo for million-euro fraud against worshippers
The investigative authorities in Palermo have concluded preliminary investigations into Antonina Cataldo, 88, founder of the philanthropic institute "Institute of the Missionary Sisters of Mercy" near the Sicilian capital. The woman, together with alleged accomplice Giuseppa Cardinale, is accused of fraud and money laundering from illicit activities.
According to what emerged from the investigations, the religious woman allegedly exploited the trust of vulnerable worshippers by presenting herself as devoted to helping the poor. Seven people from the Palermo area filed complaints, claiming to have been deceived and to have lost a total of 210,000 euros in the period between 2010 and 2014.
Victims were induced to purchase "blessed objects" and to offer substantial sums, in addition to gifts of great value such as jewellery, pashmina and fine food, on the pretext of warding off misfortune. They were threatened with grave consequences: illness, unemployment or even the end of marriage, in case of refusal to cooperate.
One of the victims recounted being convinced that God himself or celestial entities were asking her to raise funds for the needy. "She created a climate of terror," she declared. Another reported having undergone a real "brainwashing", explaining that the woman told her she spoke with the Lord, the Virgin Mary and the saints, and that she could see and communicate with the dead. "She told me that my father's soul came to her weeping and asking for prayers," she added, explaining how all this prevented her from understanding that it was a deception aimed at extorting money.
Many of the people defrauded were single or psychologically fragile individuals. Others faced health problems, financial difficulties or were unemployed. A woman who had adopted two Russian children was told that "the devil would take them away" if she did not pay 8,000 euros. Another family was forced to donate prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella and high-quality tuna.
The proceeds from the illicit activities were channelled into postal current accounts, bank accounts, insurance policies and real estate investments. Vatican officials had already ascertained in 2022 that an account at the Institute for the Works of Religion linked to the institute contained 1.5 million euros, while other accounts in Italian banks held a further 500,000 euros.
Cataldo claims, however, that she derived no personal benefit from the donations received.
Source: Η Ναυτεμπορική
Source: Naftemporiki