The Vatican, Thursday confirmed reports that it had ordered wiretaps on the phones of some Vatican officials. The wiretaps were part of its Vatileaks investigation. The admission came as Panorama magazine reported Thursday, that the Vatican Secretariat of State had ordered wiretaps on the phones of several Vatican prelates as part of an investigation into Read more
Fuelled by leaking of top Vatican secrets by his butler, Pope Benedict, has extended the oath of secrecy to lay people at the Papal Conclave. As part of his ‘motu proprio’ (at his own initiative) released on February 25, Pope Benedict outlined the penalty for such and infraction is automatic excommunication. With his ‘motu proprio’ the Read more
The “Vatileaks” scandal was one in a long series of recent Vatican scandals, and sadly it was not the last. Something of the dark irony of the scandal – “the Butler done it” – may have prevented people from seeing the seriousness of the incident. In reality it’s one of the most serious security breaches Read more
The Vatican is labelling as “deplorable” articles in two Italian newspapers claiming corruption, blackmail and sexual intrigue among Vatican cardinals. “If in the past, the so-called powers, i.e., States, exerted pressures on the election of the Pope, today there is an attempt to do this through public opinion,” read a statement from the Vatican Secretariat Read more
Monsignor Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict XVI’s personal secretary, has been appointed Prefect of the Papal Household and named an archbishop. According to Vatican journalist Andrea Tornielli, the decision to give Archbishop-elect Gänswein control of the papal household should be seen in the context of the Vatileaks scandal, in which confidential documents from the Pope’s desk Read more
As a result of the Vatileaks scandal, all Vatican employees are being given magnetic ID cards which they will have to swipe every time they enter or exit the city. According to Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli, a chip in the cards will make it possible to locate the card’s owner at any time. The cards Read more
While the Vatican computer technician involved in the Vatileaks scandal has received a two-month suspended sentence, the committee of cardinal investigating the case is reported to have recommended a papal pardon for the Pope’s personal assistant at the centre of the scandal. The technician, Claudio Sciarpelletti, was found guilty of aiding and abetting Pope Benedict Read more
Paolo Gabriele, the pope’s former butler who was found guilty of aggravated theft, started his 18-month jail sentence in a Vatican prison cell. Gabriele began serving his prison sentence by order of a Vatican court, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman. “The order will be carried out before the end of the day,” he Read more
The author of the book that revealed alleged Vatican secrets appealed for clemency on Monday after a Vatican tribunal sentenced Paolo Gabriele, the pope’s former butler, to an 18-month sentence house arrest for stealing private papal correspondence. Several European newspapers published an op-ed piece by Gianluigi Nuzzi, the book’s author, defending the actions of Gabriele, Read more
Paolo Gabriele, the pope’s former butler, complained of mistreatment after his arrest on charges of stealing documents from the pontiff’s private apartment. Gabriele claimed that his cell was so small he could not extend his arms, and the light was kept on permanently. The judges have ordered an inquiry into his allegations. The Vatican police Read more