Vatileaks scandal exposes secrets of Pope’s empire
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Pope Benedict XVI wakes every morning between 6:30 and 6:45 a.m. in the papal apartment on the third floor of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, which overlooks St. Peter’s Square. After bathing and shaving, he makes his way to his private chapel, where at 7:30 he celebrates the first mass of the day. After a time of private prayer in the chapel, at around 8:30 he joins Msgr. Georg Gänswein, his personal secretary, and a small circle of his closest collaborators for breakfast. The pope’s preference is decaffeinated coffee, bread with butter and jam, and, once in a while, a slice of tart.
We know all of these details because the Vatican has sprung a leak. For centuries one of the tightest organizations in the world, with a code of honor to rival that of the Sicilian Mafia, it has been turned inside out in the past six months. A gusher of highly confidential letters to the pope and his closest associates, many of them originally in code, has poured into the Italian media and into a book, Sua Santità by Gianluigi Nuzzi, which became an instant bestseller. The leaks are just one in a string of scandals to rock the Vatican this year—the latest, in early June, involved the ouster of the head of the Vatican bank, who possessed documents that apparently showed the Church circumventing European money-laundering regulations. To combat the spate of bad publicity, the Vatican has gone as far as hiring a former Fox News reporter, who happens to be an Opus Dei numerary, to be one of its official PR flacks. But whether the pope and the Vatican establishment can recover their credibility is now a matter of serious doubt.
The target of the most damaging leaks is the most important and powerful figure in the Vatican besides the pope: the 77-year-old secretary of state Tarcisio Bertone. The leaks have been loudly condemned by the Vatican, and the man blamed for them—the pope’s butler—may end up going to jail for years. But if the ambition that motivated the leaks was the sacking of Cardinal Bertone, they may yet succeed. Bertone’s name recurs in letter after secret letter, as he plots to oust rivals as varied as the editor of the bishops’ daily newspaper and the man sent in to clean up the Vatican’s finances. Though Benedict is said to have turned down the cardinal’s offer of resignation in late June, the informed consensus now is that Bertone’s days are numbered. Though he may limp on into 2013, the leaks have done their corrosive work.
When he was elected pope in 2005, Benedict could hardly have imagined such a brutal turn of events. For nearly 30 years, a tiny, painfully shy German cardinal named Joseph Ratzinger lived a few steps from St. Peter’s, in an apartment whose bookish austerity was mitigated by two cats and a grand piano at which he would relax by playing Mozart sonatas. He was Pope John Paul II’s trusted hard-line enforcer of theological issues. When the Polish pope finally died, Ratzinger could have looked forward to a well-deserved retirement. Instead, in April 2005, he was elected pope and propelled to instant, worldwide fame. From then on, every step he took and every public word he spoke would be news. In compensation, within the Apostolic Palace that became his new home, he could expect perfect discretion, total secrecy. But someone in his household had other ideas. [More]
SOURCE
Newsweek/The Daily Beast
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34 Comments
Jesus wept!
Over what, Hanora? There is very little in the article that speaks anything negative about the Vatican, and literally nothing that is atrocious. Did you read the article, or just the headline? Also, did you accept the word “scandal” in the headline at face value? Again, read the article and point out to me what you see as the problem in the Vatican, based on the information in the article above.
Concerned — nothing in this article said there was any corruption at the bank; take off your vindictive lenses and look at reality, not your own sick, distorted version of reality. All the article said is that the Vatican bank is not complying with European standards for money laundering. Who cares about European standards? The Vatican is its own country, and can do what it wants. On top of that, it is very unlikely the Vatican bank is doing any money laundering, so complying with the European regulations is just one more bureaucratic hurdle that is meaningless and a time waster. Get into therapy with a good therapist who believes in the power of forgiveness, Concerned, and you’ll be able to see reality more correctly.
Maybe you can have someone read the entire article to you since it clearly states how the Secretary of State was in disagreement with the head of the Vatican Bank because he went to the Pope with the information about the mismanagement. The Secretary of State then fired him. The Pope assigned him to the United States. You are the one who seems to need therapy – anyone who disagrees with you is attacked personally. When someone resorts to this tatic it is a clear indication that their are no facts to back up their claims. As for my relationship witht hte Church – you could not be more off base – I do love my Church – and I love truth. Some people are capable of both – try it sometime.
Hey Concerned — mismanagement DOES NOT EQUAL CORRUPTION. (Look at your first sentence in your 1:22 P.M. post: “Corruption at the bank is not a scandal?”) Forget therapy — try antipsychotic drugs. Hearing voices?
Jim – mismanagement done knowingly and willfully is corruption. I try to hear the voice of God. What I have been reading here is the voice of an angry, bitter person who cares nothing about real faith but only wants to protect evil.
Concerned — no where in the article posted on this site did it assert the mismanagement was knowing and willful — that is just one of the numerous examples of your distortion of reality, distortion because you are so bitter towards the Church. Wake up, Concerned — don’t just pray for me, you better pray for yourself.
Also, Concerned, you say you love the Church. Well, I have news for you: the head of the Church is Jesus Christ, and He has so much power that He can create the universe. Since you have a problem with Vatican power — power delegated to the Vatican by Jesus Christ Himself — you can expect to have to overcome your aversion to authentic power when you arrive in Purgatory (hopefully you will arrive there and not be sent to hell fire).
Jim, you’ll burst a blood vessel if you carry on in this hate filled rant.
Hey Hanora — go read Luke 17:3 and the section in Scripture where Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers, then let me know what you think.
don’t forget he fashioned a whip to drive out the hypocrites.
Concerned: have you yet read the various stretches of Scripture I have recommended to you?
t is exactly your hate filled rant that prevents you from experiencing the true power of Jesus Christ. You would have been one of those who killed Jesus because he pointed out corruption and scandalous living by the Religious keaders of the time. You somehow believe that you have been given the authority to even decide who gets eternal life and who does not. Open your heart – remember God does love you – nothing changes that – not even your blindness.
Concerned — obviously, I don’t decide who gets eternal life. And, it is you who hates — you consistently are negative with the Church. Go read Ezekiel 33:7-9 and Luke 17:3, as well as the stretch in Scripture where Jesus turns over the tables of the money changers, then tell me what you think. With regard to experiencing the true power of Jesus Christ: well, I suspect none of us experiences that to the maximum, including me, but also including you. I can tell you this, Concerned: if I knew you personally, I would stay away from you, as your negativity vis-a-vis the Church would be an impediment to me (as it is to you).
those who love darkness – hate the light. Your comments are dark, hate-filled, angry and missing facts. Come to the light of Christ Jim – you will like it.
I can see you are stuck in your arrogance and self-righteousness, Concerned.
And it’s interesting: your 9:51 A.M. post immediately above was simply an ad hominum attack on me — you did not address anything I raised in my 8:50 A.M. post, specifically the various stretches of Scripture I cited. I have brought the evidence to you, and you respond with “liar, liar, pants on fire” and “na-na-na-na-boo-boo.” If you want to have a rational debate, Concerned — which I would love, because I am going to pin you to the mat — then respond substantively.
So, Concerned, just appreciate this, as it will move our discussion forward: every time you post in response to me, I will examine your post to see if it has any substance, or if it is just an ad hominum attack. If it is the latter, I will keep telling you to try again, because ad hominum attacks lead nowhere. It is me who has brought the facts (Scriptural) to you — it is you who, in your emotionaliaty, judgmentalness, and arrogance, simply have responded in a childish, emotional, nonrational, non-helpful way.
“For two years Carlo Maria Viganò labored at the work, uncovering appalling scandal and waste” – quoted from the story. “Viganò told the pope he could hardly believe what he discovered when he began combing through the Vatican’s accounts.” – again quoted. “My transferral … would provoke profound loss and discouragement in those who believed it was possible to clean up many situations of corruption and prevarication,” – another quote. “In all, Viganò claimed to have converted a deficit of some $10 million into a surplus of $43.5 million. But in the process, he made powerful enemies, and on March 22, 2011, Bertone curtly told Viganò that he was fired.” No scandal here!!!!!!!!
I guess the Pope was personally involved with all of these things. Look at our own country if you want to talk about scandal. There’s more corruption here and in other countries as there is in the Vatican. However, the enemies of the church inside it and out will try to discredit the good work that the Pope and most cardinals and bishops are doing. I think that I will go now to my own scandalous work, i.e, having decaf coffee and eating some bread and jam.
Michael — caffeinated coffee is better for you. Also, try Ezekiel 4:9 bread — it’s the healthiest on the planet.
The only secret revealed here is that the Pope likes a tart now and then. Is this a scandal?
Carl — the lack of any scandal shows the Vatican for what it is — the head of God’s Church. Perhaps not perfect, but far better than any of the posters here.
Corruption at the Bank is not a scandal? The use of power to make the lives of others miserable is not a scndal? Misuse of funds is not a scandal? Removal of someone who was trying to undo some of the extremely corrupt practices is not a scandal? Using position in an unfair and un-Christ like way is not a scandal? Ignoring the problems that exist is not a scandal? Is there an ostrich in the room? or have these things become so common place in the church that they no longer qualify as being a scandal and are seen simply as business as usual?”
And Concerned — the Vatican’s “use of power” has been a real blessing to me and other faithful Catholics. The reason you are unhappy, Concerned, is not because of Vatican power — the reason you are unhappy is because you are bitter and won’t forgive others. You’ll never be happy until you do. Also, see me earlier post above in response to your twisted post.
Concerned — I’m curious — if you hate my Church so much, why do you concern yourself with its goings-on? If you think you are Catholic, you most definitely are not — you are an enemy of the Church. Wake up before it is too late for you. May God open your eyes.
You are the one who thinks that anyone open to reality and is willing to speak up against wrong behavior hates the Church. I believe those who simply close their eyes to everythiong that the heirarchy does that is wrong are the ones who demonstrate no love for the CHurch since the fastest way to evil is indifference. Did not followers of Jesus Christ have to correct Peter? Was the inquisition really of God simply because it was done by the CHurch? Didn’t the prophets have to speak out against things done in the name of faith? It is not I who hate the Church. It is not I who am bitter – read your posts and decide who the bitter one is. Jim, open your heart – you are not the spokesperson for the people of God – the true church.
Wow, Concerned, isn’t that interesting — when I speak out against your unfair and specious attacks on the Church, you are offended. Well, as you say, I will continue to love you by correcting you when you are wrong (which is virtually every post you make).
You are the one who say I am offended – I am not offended by people who are blind, I simply pity them and pray for them. Your anger keeps showing through – if you spoke words of truth you could do so rationally and calmly. But know that I not only prayed for the Pope and Bishops at Mass today, but also for you.
I appreciate it, Concerned. And (I’m not kidding here), after I received Holy Communion this morning, I also said a prayer for you. I appreciate all prayers, but I do not appreciate posts that take liberty with the truth and thereby attack my Church.
Also, with regard to “anger” — we have a problem with definition with that word. What often is labeled anger is not anger at all, but rather (most commonly) frustration or simply upset. At Ephesians 4:26, St. Paul instructs us to get angry, just don’t sin in the process. Jesus did not sin when he cursed the fig tree before going to Jerusalem when He turned over the tables of the money changers. On His way out of Jerusalem, one of His apostles (Peter?) pointed out to Him that the tree He had cursed had withered to the ground. Now that is very interesting, as the tree wasn’t even doing anything wrong — Scripture specifically says it was not the time of year for the tree to be yielding.
And, Concerned, you say “you are not the spokesperson for the people of God — the true Church” — may I ask you the same question: who apppointed you to judge what my role is?
Do you claim to be the spokesperson for the CHurch? It would seem by your words that you are. I guess that speaks everything that anyone needs to hear.
Ezekiel 33:7-9 applies to all of us who have ears to hear — do you have ears, Concerned? I am not an official spokeman for the Church, of course, but I take the Ezekiel verse seriously, as any Christian should who reads it. Read those verses before you respond to my post. Go to http://www.usccb.org if you don’t have a Bible handy.