Cause opens for sister slain by Satanists

Via Zenit:

The cause of beatification has opened for Sister Maria Laura Mainetti, a
60-year-old religious murdered by three girls during a Satanic rite in 2000. Bishop
Alessandro Maggiolini of Como solemnly opened the process in Chiavenna on
Oct.
23. "After the time of sorrow and mourning, now is the moment of
joy and
light," said Monsignor Ambrogio Balatti, archpriest of Chiavenna San
Lorenzo, as
reported by the Italian newspaper Avvenire. Sister Laura, as she
was known, was
stabbed 18 times on the night of June 6-7, 2000, after being
taken to a dark
alley by two 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old. Monsignor
Balatti said: "The three
hapless girls could find no better excuse to
attract Sister Laura, than to
convince her that one of them was expecting a
child, that she had been rejected
by her family and boyfriend, and that she
didn't know what to do or where to go.
"It makes me angry when they say that
Sister Laura was naive. She took every
precaution, but so did the girls.
They were able to set up an astute and
diabolic plan."
(snip)
Under
interrogation, the accused said they killed the nun to "dispel the
boredom
of a life that was always the same in the small city," said Monsignor
Balatti. Officials soon learned that the trio initially wanted to sacrifice
a
priest in their Satanic rite -- and their first choice for a victim was
Monsignor Balatti. "At that time, interest in Satanism and occultism had
become
a fad," said the archpriest. "Even dress, music and some books
contributed to
the spread of such a tendency. "Many young people followed
more than anything
out of a desire to call attention, to defy the rules. It
found fertile ground in
some because they were angry with God, perhaps
because of personal problems,
because of family troubles."
(snip)
The
killers themselves admitted that when she was dying, Sister Laura found
the
strength to pray for them, saying: "Lord, forgive them." Bishop Maggiolini
said: "I am certain that all this will reflect positively also on the three
girls: Sister Laura's is a light that will help them grow and mature.