Amanda Knox says Catholic priest ‘saw my humanity’ in prison, helped restore faith in herself

Amanda Knox was down bars erstwhile she befriended a Catholic priest.

The parent of two, who spent astir 4 years successful an Italian prison, has written a caller book, "Free: My Search for Meaning." It recounts the struggles the 37-year-old endured successful attempting to reintegrate into society. Knox besides reflects connected what it was similar returning to a much mean life, including seeking a beingness partner, uncovering a occupation and walking retired successful public.

The Seattle native, who identifies arsenic an atheist, told Fox News Digital situation chaplain Don Saulo not lone became her champion person during those years but besides gave her anticipation erstwhile she felt hopeless.

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In her caller book, "Free: My Search for Meaning," Amanda Knox described however a clergyman was consenting to beryllium her person portion she was down bars. (Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

"He was a bully man, a person and a philosopher," Knox told Fox News Digital. "He was the household who was determination for maine successful situation erstwhile the remainder of my household couldn’t beryllium physically determination with me. And helium was idiosyncratic who wasn’t conscionable benignant to me, but who was consenting to prosecute with maine connected a philosophical level. He saw my humanity. And helium genuinely wanted to walk clip with me.

Amanda Knox was a pupil successful Perugia studying overseas erstwhile her roommate, Meredith Kercher, was recovered stabbed to decease successful 2007. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

"He spoke to maine successful presumption of his ideology and his faith, but determination were truths successful what helium said," she shared. "It would displacement my position from 1 of utter despair to 1 of hope. And connected days erstwhile I didn’t person hope, helium showed maine however to find worth successful the acquisition that I had. The thought that if you commune to God for strength, helium doesn’t springiness you strength, helium gives you an accidental to beryllium beardown — that resonated with me."

Knox was a 20-year-old pupil successful Perugia studying overseas erstwhile her roommate, Meredith Kercher, was recovered stabbed to decease successful 2007. The 21-year-old was recovered successful the cottage they shared with 2 Italian women.

British pupil Meredith Kercher was murdered successful 2007. She was 21. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

The lawsuit made planetary headlines arsenic suspicion fell rapidly connected Knox and her fellow of conscionable days, Raffaele Sollecito. 

Knox wrote that portion she was successful prison, a nun had approached her. But erstwhile Knox told her she wasn’t religious, the nun replied that she was "no amended than an carnal without God."

Amanda Knox, left, and her fellow astatine the time, Raffaele Sollecito, of Italy, successful 2007, extracurricular the rented location wherever 21-year-old British pupil Meredith Kercher was recovered dormant successful Perugia, Italy.  (File photo/ Associated Press)

The priest, connected the different hand, suggested they could speech astir immoderate Knox wanted astatine his office.

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Amanda Knox is led distant from Perugia's Court of Appeal by constabulary officers aft the archetypal league of her entreaty of her execution condemnation Nov. 24, 2010, successful Perugia, Italy.  (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

"I don’t retrieve however helium broke the ice," Knox wrote. "By asking however I was doing? All I cognize is that I recovered myself gushing [in] desperation."

Over the years, Amanda Knox has been attempting to wide her name. (Getty Images)

Knox besides described however she would sing from her cell. Saulo, who overheard her 1 day, asked if she’d ever played instruments. When Knox told him that she utilized to play the guitar, helium exclaimed, "I person a guitar!"

"You could play it during mass. You could adjacent travel to my bureau to practice," helium told her.

Amanda Knox's book, "Free: My Search for Meaning," is retired now. (Grand Central Publishing)

Knox admitted she "didn’t emotion the thought of mass," but the thought of leaving her compartment to play the guitar was "one tiny nexus to the beingness I was surviving earlier this nightmare."

"And truthful began our philharmonic relationship," Knox wrote. "Once oregon doubly a week, I was allowed to walk an hr successful Don Saulo’s bureau practicing hymns connected the guitar, and then, during wide connected Saturdays, I’d play and sing those spiritual tunes."

Amanda Knox spent astir 4 years down bars successful Italy. (Federico Zirilli/AFP via Getty Images)

She besides described however Saulo had a tiny physics keyboard and taught her to play the piano. And erstwhile helium learned she loved studying languages, helium began teaching her Latin phrases.

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Today, Amanda Knox is simply a joined parent of two. (Lucien Knuteson)

Knox said Saulo’s kindness brightened her acheronian days. She told Fox News Digital lasting up for yourself successful situation meant violence.

"I deliberation a batch of radical mightiness ideate conscionable horrible things betwixt inmates, and it’s true," said Knox. "I was surrounded by women who were either struggling with intelligence illness, cause addiction oregon conscionable wide PTSD from semipermanent maltreatment and neglect. 

Amanda Knox claimed the antheral guards tried to instrumentality vantage of her. (Claudia Greco/Reuters)

"There was a batch of dysfunction successful the assemblage of women that I belonged to. But, without a doubt, the worst experiences that I had were with the antheral guards, who had implicit powerfulness implicit maine and who I could not support myself from.

Amanda Knox was exonerated of the execution of Meredith Kercher successful March 2015.   (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

"I was successful a locked country with them, and they had the key," Knox recalled. "If I ever spoke up, nary 1 would judge maine due to the fact that [to them] I was the lying murdering whore.

"I was perfectly astatine the mercy of antheral guards who tried to instrumentality vantage of maine … and it was conscionable horrifying," Knox claimed.

Amanda Knox said she ne'er felt judged by Don Saulo. (Federico Zirilli/AFP)

In her book, Knox wrote that Saulo "never judged me, ne'er told maine who I was, adjacent arsenic the satellite called maine a monster."

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Don Saulo encouraged Amanda Knox to sing and play guitar. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images)

"I felt supported by him successful cultivating a mindset of compassion and empathy and gratitude, that it was this mindset that would let maine to recognize what had happened to me," she wrote.

One of the radical she dedicated her publication to was Saulo, "for holding my manus erstwhile nary 1 other could."

One of the radical Amanda Knox dedicated her publication to was Don Saulo. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

"I stay an atheist, but Don Saulo taught maine to worth overmuch of the contented successful the teachings of Jesus," she wrote. "Turning the different cheek, the aureate rule, a extremist refusal of judgment, an acceptance of each radical – precocious and low, sinner and saints. No 1 deserves God’s grace, and yet, it is determination for everyone. This is however I deliberation astir compassion. It is not kindness if it is reserved for the just, the good, the kind."

Rudy Guede was yet convicted of murdering Meredith Kercher. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images)

Rudy Hermann Guede of the Ivory Coast was yet convicted of execution aft his DNA was recovered astatine the transgression scene. The European Court of Human Rights ordered Italy to wage Knox damages for the constabulary failures, noting she was susceptible arsenic a overseas pupil not fluent successful Italian.

Knox returned to the United States successful 2011 aft being freed by an appeals tribunal successful Perugia and has established herself arsenic a planetary campaigner for the wrongly convicted. Over the years, she has attempted to wide her name.

Amanda Knox's parents are seen present speaking to the press.  (Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images)

Today, Knox is simply a committee subordinate of The Innocence Center, a nonprofit instrumentality steadfast that aims to escaped guiltless radical from prison. She besides often discusses however high-profile cases impact loved ones connected a podcast she hosts with her husband, "Labyrinths."

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Amanda Knox arrives with her hubby Christopher Robinson (left) astatine the courthouse successful Florence June 5, 2024, earlier a proceeding successful a slander lawsuit related to her jailing and aboriginal acquittal for the execution of her British roommate. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images)

Guede, 37, was freed successful 2021 aft serving astir of his 16-year sentence.

Knox told Fox News Digital she was "haunted" by the tone of Kercher.

A presumption of the location that was the tract of the Nov. 1, 2007, execution of British pupil Meredith Kercher successful Perugia, Italy.  (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

"I deliberation astir her each day, particularly erstwhile I see what could person happened to me," she explained. "My destiny precise good could person been hers, and her destiny could precise good person been mine. We were some 2 young women who went to survey abroad. Our lives were up of us. Everything was going good for us. And past a antheral broke into our location and killed her."

A floral tribute with photographs of Meredith Kercher astatine her ceremonial Dec. 14, 2007, astatine Croydon Parish Church, South London. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

"If it hadn’t been for the information that I conscionable happened to conscionable a young, benignant antheral 5 days earlier the transgression occurred, I would precise good beryllium dormant excessively now," she continued. 

"When I deliberation astir her … [I have] conscionable the utter realization of the fragility, the impermanence and preciousness of life. What a privilege it is to live. And however important it is of a task to combat for your beingness and to marque it worthy surviving portion you person it. I deliberation astir that.

Relatives of murdered British speech pupil Meredith Kercher — Stephanie Kercher (right), Arline Kercher (left) and begetter John Kercher (center) — get for a quality league successful Perugia Nov. 6, 2007.  (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

"One of the biggest things that I’ve had to conflict with is unpacking the information that a person of mine’s decease is wrapped up successful my identity. … My individuality is twisted up successful [her family’s] deepest pain. The information of what happened to her and the justness that was denied to her is an ongoing, achy happening for maine and galore others. When radical say, ‘Meredith has been mislaid successful this story,’ they’re not wrong."

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Amanda Knox told Fox News Digital she hopes to link with Meredith Kercher's household someday. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Knox said she tried reaching retired to Kercher’s household "a spot ago," but has gotten "radio silence." Fox News Digital reached retired to Kercher’s household for comment.

"I conscionable privation … they would link with maine truthful that we tin grieve unneurotic and effort to marque meaning retired of this calamity together," said Knox.

Amanda Knox was a impermanent connected the TV programme "Cinque Minuti" successful Rome June 10, 2024. (Massimo Di Vita/Archivio Massimo Di Vita/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

Knox knows she tin ne'er instrumentality to her aged life. But she hopes, aft telling her story, she tin determination guardant with her family. That, she said, gives her anticipation today.

Amanda Knox acknowledges the cheers of supporters portion her mother, Edda Mellas, comforts her Oct. 4, 2011, successful Seattle. (Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

"There’s ne'er going to beryllium a time erstwhile each azygous idiosyncratic successful the satellite is going to recognize that I’ve been incorrect and harmed," said Knox. "I person to past inquire myself, ‘Can I unrecorded with that? What tin state mean to maine today?’ 

"I deliberation that has been a truly important displacement successful my position that I effort to convey successful the book, going from feeling that I americium trapped successful my ain beingness … to feeling similar I tin propulsion forward. It’s allowing maine to consciousness similar I tin marque choices again successful airy of each this backstory. That gives maine momentum."