Pope confers with cardinals on 'Vatileaks' scandal, curial organization

June 25, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI met on June 23 with his top aides to exchange thoughts on the fallout from the ‘Vatileaks’ scandal.

The Pope on Saturday morning with the heads of the offices of the Roman Curia. In the afternoon he held a separate meeting with five hand-picked cardinals for further reflections on the current unrest at the Vatican.

The ultimate goal of the meetings was to “re-establish that climate of serenity and trust in the service of the Roman Curia,” said Father Federico Lombardi. The Vatican spokesman said that the Pope is conferring with various advisers about the same issues, noting that he had met the previous Saturday with the three cardinals who have been assigned to investigate the leaks of confidential documents.

For the afternoon meeting, Father Lombardi told reports, the Pope chose cardinals “who, by virtue of their vast and varied experience serving the Church, not only in Rome but also internationally, may profitably exchange ideas and suggestions with the Holy Father.” The five cardinals included in the meeting were:

1. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, a former student of the Pontiff’s, a trusted adviser, and a prelate who is sometimes mentioned as a potential successor to Benedict XVI;
2. Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the retired Vicar of the Rome diocese, who has also been a close ally of Benedict XVI and was reportedly instrumental in promoting his election in the papal conclave of 2005;
3. Cardinal Jozef Tomko, a Slovakian prelate who served in the Roman Curia for nearly 30 years, becoming prefect of the Congregation for Evangelization, before retiring in 2007 at the age of 83;
4. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, another curial veteran, who was Secretary for Relations with States before being appointed in 2007 as president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue; and
5. Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, Australia, the only prelate in the group who has not held a post in the Roman Curia, but one to whom Benedict XVI has often turned for advice.

 

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Further information:

• Holy See Press Office Director on Pope's Meetings with Cardinals (VIS)
• Pope Meets Cardinals to "Restore Serenity and Trust" in Curia (National Catholic Register)