Sostituto blasts Vatican leakers, discusses investigation

March 19, 2012

The Vatican’s sostituto--the deputy secretary of state who supervises the flow of paperwork within the Roman Curia--said that those who have leaked Vatican documents to the media are guilty of “cowardice” and “slander.”

L’Osservatore Romano summarized the major points of an interview with the sostituto, Archbishop Giovanni Becciu, who lauded the professionalism of the vast majority of those who work in the Curia:

The image of the Roman Curia too often passed about in public opinion without corresponding to reality, which is certainly far better, unfortunately obscured by the grave slander of some. And it is this slander which is at the root of the leakage of documents which have circulated through the media especially in Italy. Regarding this deplorable and sad affair, an investigation is under way at various levels. The hope is that an atmosphere of trust will be pieced back together. The Pope, constantly informed, is saddened, however is serene and looking to the future.

“The Secretariat of State has ordered a thorough investigation into each organism of the Holy See: on the penal level conducted the Promoter of Justice of the Vatican Tribunal and on the administrative level by the Secretariat of State itself,” L’Osservatore Romano reported. “Meanwhile a higher committee was appointed by the Pope to shed light on the whole affair.”

 

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Further information:

• We need to look to the future (L’Osservatore Romano)
• Vatican not planning to investigate source of leaked documents? (CWN, 3/16)