Italian court rules for Vatican in radio dispute

ROME — An Italian court ruled Feb. 19 it cannot try officials of Vatican Radio on charges of polluting the environment with electromagnetic emissions because Italy lacks jurisdiction over Vatican territory.

Judge Andrea Calabria accepted defense arguments that Vatican Radio’s transmitters were covered by the Lateran Pact, which governs relations between Italy and the Vatican. Article II of the pact recognizes the Vatican’s extra-territorial status.

The case concerned emissions from Vatican Radio’s powerful transmitters at suburban Santa Maria di Galeria, north of Rome. Vatican Radio lowered the emissions to comply with Italian law after a bitter war of words with government officials, who at one point threatened to shut off its worldwide broadcasts.

But the state nevertheless pressed charges against Cardinal Roberto Tucci, president of the Jesuit-run Vatican Radio; Pasquale Borgomeo, program director; and Costantino Pacifici, technical director.

Residents of Santa Maria di Galeria and nearby Cesano blamed a rise in cases of cancer and lukemia, especially among children, on the electromagnetic emissions from the transmitters.