Priest caught out lying after surviving Concordia

An Italian priest who claimed he was going away for a week on a spiritual retreat will have to explain to his parishioners how he ended up on the doomed Costa Concordia cruise ship.

Fr Massimo Donghi had told parishioners he was going away for contemplation and prayer, but actually boarded the luxury liner at Civitavecchia, north of Rome, for a cruise of Mediterranean ports.

Donghi would have been able to enjoy the ship’s spas, saunas, jacuzzis, four swimming pools, five restaurants, 13 bars, casino and a discotheque.

His parish, near Monza in northern Italy, was shocked to learn of Donghi’s travels after his nephew, who was also on the cruise, posted on Facebook that the priest had survived the disaster.

“What do you want me to say?” the priest told an Italian news magazine. “I have nothing to add. I’m okay although I’m still a bit in shock. I will talk to my parishioners in church. The judgment of others is not important to me.”

Meanwhile, 3,000 survivors of the disaster will receive a basic €11,000 each plus expenses, negotiators announced two weeks after the accident which is feared to have killed up to 32 people.

Navy divers blew new holes in the side of the beached vessel to search previously unexplored parts of the ship for missing people, though officials said there was now no chance of finding survivors.

The known death toll is 16, with another 16 people still missing. While relatives of those lost waited for news of their loved ones, Dutch company Smit Salvage prepared to pump 2,380 tonnes of fuel out of the vessel. Passengers of the stricken cruise liner learned they will get at least €11,000 each from its Costa Crociere operator under a deal struck after the January 13 disaster.

“This deal concerns 3,000 passengers from 60 countries, including 900 Italians”, Adoc, one of several consumer advocacy groups that negotiated the agreement, said.

The group said it thought around 85% of them would agree to the deal, and that even children who were travelling for free would get€11,000 each. Passengers will also be reimbursed for the cost of the cruise, estimated at €3,000 each, as well as any travel and medical expenses.

The agreement does not concern those who were injured or lost loved ones, it said. “It’s a landmark agreement to bring an end to a tragic affair,” said Adoc president Carlo Pileri.

The liner had 4,229 lives aboard including about 1,000 personnel when it ran aground off Tuscany.

Several consumer groups have said they intend to bring a class action against Costa Crociere.