This archive report was first published on 10 October 2019.
Published on October 10, 2019, the Vatican has opened an investigation into claims made by a Kenyan man that his biological father is an Italian priest.
Gerald Erebon, a Kenyan man, says his birth certificate lists a black Kenyan man as his biological father, but he himself is light-skinned, tall with curly hair, and bears little resemblance to the man listed as his father, Rev. Mario Lacchin, an 83-year-old Italian priest.
According to Erebon, word around his remote village in Archer's Post, Samburu is that Rev. Lacchin impregnated his late mother, Sabina Losirkale, when she was 16 years old. Rev. Lacchin has refuted the claims, but has refused to take a paternity test.
“According to my birth certificate, it is like I am living a wrong life… I just want to have my identity, my history,” Erebon recently told the Associated Press.
Allegations against Rev. Lacchin were brought to the Vatican's attention in May by Vincent Doyle, an advocate for children fathered by priests. Sabina's sister, Scolastica Losirkale, recalls seeing Sabina and Rev. Lacchin hugging, and says that Sabina would often come home crying or not come home at all.
“I think Father Mario was taking advantage of my sister. He bribed her with gifts, food, clothes. He was even buying us books. My sister used to come with books, pens, all we needed,” Scolastica says.
Rev. Lacchin was quietly transferred from Archer's Post after Sabina became pregnant with Erebon. The people of Archer's knew it was Rev. Lacchin, and they believed he was responsible for Sabina's pregnancy.
