The four parts of the latest Netflix docuseries Vatican Girl The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi released on October 20, 2022. The real-life terrifying tale of “the only missing citizen in the Vatican” (since June 1983) pulls us into a nail-biting conspiracy that still has numerous leads that have mostly culminated on a dead-end or pointed at the Vatican as a questionable standing institution.

Synonymous with The Holy See, the European nation has the Roman Catholic Church as its foundational symbol with the Pope administered as the head of the state. The Orlandi family’s story also began with serving several Popes over the years, however, with Emanuela’s mysterious disappearance, their story has come to “sound like a Dan Brown novel”, as per the observations of the media over the years.

-Vatican Girl The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi Ending Explained Contains Spoilers-

The series begins by stating the initial conditions of the fateful day when Emanuela Orlandi had set out for her usual flute lesson at her school, located at the periphery of the Vatican. She had urged her brother Pietro Orlandi to accompany her to the premises as she was late but she ultimately had to turn up alone, which her brother regrets to this day as mentioned in the series as well. Later that evening, she called home to intimate her family about a man approaching her to join Avon, a cosmetics company. Meanwhile, her sister awaited her a rendezvous point from where the two were supposed to head home together. However, Orlandi never turned up, putting into motion a mystery that hasn’t been solved for 37 years.

Several leads surfaced over the years at irregular intervals, compelling the case to never be silenced entirely. To this day, her family continues to look for her as her brother and the lead journalist convey the news of endless strings of conspiracies that eventually got roped in with her case over the four episodes.

Vatican Girl The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi Ending Explained

While the docuseries was bound to end inevitably, the search for the once 15-year-old girl in question has not stopped after all these years. Nevertheless, the last episode pushes us into further intrigue about a nation and all its corrupt riddles that still, one way or another. seem to weigh down this mystery.

A final reveal saved for the last minute of the series is the first revelation of its kind that changes our way of looking at the Vatican center and the ostensible respect it has commanded from its people all this time. Drawing common people as nothing more than mere pawns in the hands of power and authority, one of Orlandi’s best friends at the time unveils a repulsive and nauseating secret for the first time ever and it may have even played into the prime cause of Emanuela being taken away.

Quite a few crossing ties and the involvement of the mafia, KGB, and other international terrorists were divulged during the investigation. However, even the lead journalist (Andrea Purgatori) on the case had come to the conclusion early on that it all had to do with things happening inside the borders of the Vatican, fuelling the negligence and lack of cooperation of the authorities during the investigation, which was also reflected in them not being present for the documentary as well.

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Orlandi’s friend, who chose to keep her identity anonymous in order to be at ease while disclosing a piece of information that has never been admitted overtly before, stated that almost a week before going missing, Emanuela had reached out and confided in her about a tormenting incident that had befallen her during one of her walks in the Vatican Garden. As per her account, Orlandi had been harassed by someone in power and in close association with the Pope.

In addition to that, a confidential dossier, that was extracted from the Vatican itself after a break-in, held secret information of having held Emanuela hostage in London, a hostel for young girls which had its roots shared with the Vatican origin, for quite a few years and that after her death her remains were carried back to her home ground without anyone’s discretion. As heinous as the act was, many still don’t believe this to be true due to the incredulous extent of the details being relayed therein. However, it’s hinted that the Vatican’s officials knew what happened to Emanuela because years ago when Pope Paul II had uttered her name during one of his sermons, that message was not only abrupt but also unprompted. And years later after his demise when Pope Francis took charge, he too was adamant about his firm statement exchanged with Emanuela’s brother, claiming persistently that she was now in heaven, despite his urge that they were still looking for her and would keep doing so.

The mafia ties can’t be invalidated either because of the gangster Enrico De Pedis (Banda Della Magliana’s boss) and his girlfriend, Sabrina Minardi’s interference in the matter. The latter, who was also present for the docuseries, detailed her interactions, or the lack thereof (due to her substance addiction at the time), with Emanuela when she found out that her boyfriend was involved in her abduction and wanted her to be his accomplice in the act. On being questioned about the situation, he had simply laid out that it was all a game of power and money that had led them this way. Pedis was a mediator in the criminal act and ultimately Emanuela was taken away by a man dressed as a priest as per Minardi’s confession.

Even after the interval of many years, various reports of whistleblowing facts reached the authorities and reignited the case that continuously served cold leads. After three decades, the case is still as alive as it was back then, sadly it never comes to its close because of the Vatican’s silence on the matter. Many officials are already dead, further pushing the case into the holds of dust-ridden files. Emanuela’s family has been incessantly pleading its case for them to come out of their shells and speak up but to no avail. The series, therefore, is a heartfelt appeal for the Vatican to come forth with its knowledge and put this case to rest for good. The truth of what happened to Emanuela Orlandi is still far from reach as there’s still no way of confirming if she’s even alive or not, but her family still stands by the hope that she will be found one day.

Vatican Girl The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi is now streaming on Netflix.

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