The Vatican has arrested two former members of a commission set up to explore reform of the church’s finances. Monsignor Lucio Ángel Vallejo Balda
The Vatican has arrested two former members of a commission set up to explore reform of the church’s finances.
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Monsignor Lucio Ángel Vallejo Balda and Italian PR guru Francesca Chaouqui have been arrested on suspicion of leaking damaging documents on the pope’s planned overhaul.
#Vatileaks, arrestati monsignor Vallejo e Francesca Chaouqui - Vatican Insider https://t.co/YsDfcQMgnA @Tornielli pic.twitter.com/6rxCO5SlJV
— La Stampa (@la_stampa) November 2, 2015
The months long investigation alleges that the pair disseminated “news and confidential documents” to two writers of books due for publication. Leaks are the prefered methods critics of the pope use to cause mischief.
Greg Burke is spokesperson for the Vatican: “Once again, people are trying to profit from stolen documents and people who had the trust of the pope have betrayed it. That’s hardly the way to help his mission”
The Vatican elaborated saying both individuals had been detained after questioning over the weekend.
Chaouqui has since been released and is believed to be cooperating with the investigation.
Vatican arrests cleric, laywoman suspected of leaking secret documents: https://t.co/fu6WeNgAL3 pic.twitter.com/B0AXJuDZLV
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) November 2, 2015
The publishers of the books due out this week claim they reveal fresh evidence of scandals in the church.