In the latest twist of a messy internal conflict shaking the Vatican, four clerics in the office that manages the tiny city-state on Saturday rejected charges of corruption, mismanagement and greed levelled by a former deputy governor.

The four said in a statement that charges made by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, currently Pope Benedict’s ambassador in Washington, were “either the fruit of erroneous evaluations or based on fears not backed up by proof”.

Vigano was transferred to the United States against his will last year after he denounced what he saw as a web of corruption in the management of Vatican City, a 108-acre (44-hectare) sovereign city-state surrounded by Rome and where the pope rules as a monarch.

In letters to Pope Benedict and his number two, the secretary of state, Vigano complained about what he said was nepotism and cronyism linked to the awarding of contracts to outside companies at inflated prices.

The letters, leaked to the media last month, read like a Renaissance drama of court intrigue, rivalry and petty bickering that has embarrassed the Vatican.

By issuing Saturday’s statement, the Vatican again confirmed the authenticity of the letters, saying they had been “published without authorisation” and had caused “great sadness” among past and present administrators.

Full Story: Vatican Corruption Charges Contested

Source: Huffington Post Religion