Cardinals on 'Vatileaks' commission meet with Pope to discuss impact

December 17, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI met on December 17 with the 3 cardinals who composed a commission investigating the “Vatileaks” scandal. Although the Vatican issued no statement about the meeting, Italian journalist Andrei Tornielli of La Stampa said that the cardinals’ commission has continued to discuss the negative effects that the leaks of confidential documents have had on the workings of the Roman Curia.

An inconspicuous announcement from the Vatican press office revealed that the Pope had “received in audience Cardinal Julian Herranz, Cardinal Jozef Tomko, and Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi”—without identifying those three prelates as the members of the commission appointed by the Pontiff to report on the Vatileaks scandal.

In July the cardinals had presented a report to the Pontiff, reportedly including their conclusions about the thefts of papal documents. But according to Tornielli that report covered only the crime itself, and the three cardinals have continued to meet to consider the impact of the leaks.

Since the trial that resulted in the conviction of Paolo Gabriele, his former valet, for the theft of confidential documents, Pope Benedict has instituted new security measures in the apostolic palace, and has appointed his trusted private secretary, Msgr. Georg Gänswein, as prefect of the pontifical household. Tornielli comments: “And the surprises may not be over.”

 

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Further information:

• Vatileaks: il Papa incontra i tre cardinali sull’esito delle indagini (La Stampa)
• Pope meets with cardinals in Vatileaks probe (CWN, 7/27)