Pope Francis has appointed a new head of the Vatican Security Services and commander of the Gendarmerie (Police).
Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti (known as Gauzzi), a cybersecurity expert, is taking over the security leadership role after the shock resignation of Commander Domenico Giani.
Giani resigned amid a scandal stemming from his role in an leaking information about investigation into alleged financial wrongdoing by Holy See staff.
Giani signed a memo identifying five employees who had been “suspended” and barred entry into the Vatican, though not investigated or charged.
The memo was leaked by an unknown person to the media.
Francis says the leak is comparable to a “mortal sin”; it harms the principle of presumption of innocence and is “prejudicial to the dignity of the people involved” and to the image of the police. He has ordered an investigation into the matter.
He also says he appreciates Giani’s “unquestionable faithfulness and loyalty”, “extreme competence” and “undisputed professionalism”.
About the memo
Giani’s memo followed a raid at the beginning of this month when Vatican police searched the offices of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State and its Financial Information Authority.
The Secretariat controls millions of dollars donated by Catholics across the world.
The raid was seeking evidence of suspected financial wrongdoing and centred on an investigation concerning €180m in Vatican-controlled Swiss bank accounts.
The money was used to finance a luxury property development in the London district of Chelsea and resulted in huge profit for the original seller.
Who is Gauzzi?
The newly-promoted Gauzzi (45) has been Giani’s deputy chief of Security Services and the Gendarmerie since 2018.
He joined the Vatican’s Gendarmerie at the age of 24. Four years later, he became responsible for planning and developing the Vatican’s networking and security infrastructure and cybersecurity.
His Vatican career has included being part of the unit responsible for managing the “technological security” of the 2005 and 2013 papal conclaves.
The Vatican says Gauzzi’s new appointment means he is now the pope’s main bodyguard or “guardian angel”.
Source
- BBC
- America Magazine
- Image: Terazsk
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News category: World.
