Girl chose death after seeing film
The film Heaven in the Marshes. depicting the martyrdom of Blessed Margaret Goretti, who is to be canonised this year as a martyr for purity, is believed to have inspired another 12-year-old Italian girl, Anna Bracci, who has died a violent death in similar circumstances.
The Romans are regarding her as a martyr.
After she had seen the film, it is said. she remarked : "If anything like that were to happen to me, I too would do as Maria Goretti did."
Blessed Maria, beatified a few years ago, was murdered in the early years of this century.