Vatican journalist charges a member of papal reform committee could be tied to Vatileaks
August 26, 2013
An influential Vatican journalist has written that a member of the 8-member committee appointed by Pope Francis in July to help reforms in the Vatican’s economic activities may have been involved in the “Vatileaks” scandal.
Sandro Magister of L’Espresso reports that Francesco Chaouqui, an Italian laywoman with a background in public relations, was the source of a report in La Repubblica, publishing in March, claiming that Paolo Gabriele was not the only source of Vatican documents leaked to the Italian media. Magister says that Chaouqui may have ties to Gianluigi Nuzzi, the Italian journalist who published the stolen documents.
Chaouqui has come under scrutiny because of a series of controversial comments that she had posted on her Twitter account before her appointment to the Vatican reform panel. She has since closed down the Twitter account.
Magister, for his part, has become an active participant in the debate over Vatican reforms. He published explicit charges that Msgr. Battista Ricca, the Pope’s choice as prelate of the Vatican bank, had a past involvement in homosexual scandal. Magister now insists that Msgr. Ricca’s continued presence at the Vatican bank—which Pope Francis has supported—is a “glaring contradiction” to the Pope’s plans for reform.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Ricca and Chaouqui, Two Enemies in the House (L’Espress)
- Former Italian government minister files suit against member of Vatican reform panel (CWN, 8/14)
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: Don Vicente -
Aug. 27, 2013 9:31 PM ET USA
I agree with the observation about Opus Dei. A woman being a "regular visitor" at a male house of Opus Dei? Visiting a male Numerary? Literally impossible. (BTW: She's Francesca not Francesco.)
-
Posted by: Contrary1995 -
Aug. 26, 2013 5:10 PM ET USA
Magister is usually a reliable commentator. However, he claims that this woman is known to frequent the Opus Dei residence where Dr. Navarro-Valls lives. Anyone familiar with Opus Dei knows that women are not regular visitors to male residences of Opus Dei. This leads me to suspect that Magister is too heavily involved personally in some aspects of the reform of the Vatican story.