MondayVatican
Pietro Parolin was discharged from the hospital and should arrive in Rome after a short convalescing period at home. This is the first piece of news released about the new Secretary of State’s health. Parolin could not take part in the ceremony by which he formally assumed his new position because he needed [...]
It seems certain that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone will remain Secretary of State until April 27. That is the day when new papal nuncio Ettore Balestrero – previously Undersecretary for Relations with States, heading to the important nunciature of Colombia– will be ordained bishops. In the past, the Pope himself would conduct these ordinations [...]
What has resulted from Vatileaks? First of all, isolating the Pope from its collaborators. Who, after the leaking of documents –even if inconsequential– will dare to write freely to the Pontiff? Secondly, Vatileaks gave rise to a climate of suspicion that is seemingly favoring the return of the Vatican Old Guard. This [...]
The second outcome of the Vatileaks case may have come in the classical Vatican formula promoveatur ut amoveatur (promote to remove). James Michael Harvey, Prefect of the Pontifical Household, is to be created cardinal in a surprise consistory announced by Benedict XVI. The consistory will take place November, 24, and will create just [...]
The Vatileaks case does not come to an end with the trial of Paolo Gabriele, the Pope’s butler charged with aggravated theft, convicted of stealing the pontiff’s private documents and leaking them to a journalist, and sentenced to 18 months in prison (but a Papal pardon is likely). Perhaps Vatileaks will [...]
There is more than meets the eye in the trial of His Holiness Chamber Assistant Paolo Gabriele (for aggravated theft) and the Vatican Secretariat of State computer specialist Claudio Sciarpelletti (for abetting) that has just begun in the Vatican. The case reveals a guiding thread that links the Vatican City State legal order [...]
Should Vatican communication be overhauled? Perhaps this notion lead to the decision to appoint Greg Burke, formerly a reporter of Fox News in Italy, as advisor for communication of the Vatican Secretariat of State. In explaining his new job, Greg Burke said that it is «similar to the communication advisor of the [...]
Paolo Gabriele, the Pope’s butler accused of stealing and leaking documents from the Apostolic Palace and His Holiness’ Secretariat of State, will be tried as a criminal. But the real news is that there is one more person who will also face criminal proceedings: Claudio Sciarpelletti, a computer specialist working at the [...]
Perhaps, the first step that will revolutionize the world of Vatican communications is the appointment of Greg Burke, the 52 years old journalist coming from Fox News TV, as media advisor of the Secretariat of State. Greg Burke’s post is unprecedented in the Vatican. The Curia does not even have a media coordinator [...]
To do away with Vatileaks polemics and rumors, Benedict XVI decided to make a personal public statement. At the end of the General Audience of Wednesday, May 30th, he read a brief and significant declaration about the Vatileaks scandal. «The events – the Pope said - which have occurred during these [...]
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