Top Vatican official lashes out in anger over leaks
The Holy See's Deputy Secretary of State, Archbishop Angelo Becciu, is in constant touch with the Pope. In an interview with L'Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican paper, he describes the Pope's feelings and calls the theft of Papal documents "an immoral act of unheard-of gravity." (Please note: this is presented in extract rather than continuous form.)
- Vatican City
- May 31, 2012
What can be said of the state of mind of those who work in the Holy See?
“With the people I have met in the past few hours”, the Archbishop answered, “we looked each other in the eye and I saw dismay and anxiety, but I also noted the determination to continue their silent and faithful service to the Pope”; an attitude breathed every day in the life of the Holy See’s offices and in the small Vatican world, but which obviously does not make news in the media storm unleashed after the serious and, in many ways, disconcerting events of the past few days.
In this context, the Substitute weighs his words carefully to emphasize “the positive outcome” of the investigation, even though the outcome was regrettable. Reactions across the world, moreover, which on the one hand are justified, on the other “are worrying and disconcerting because of the manner in which the information was obtained which has given rise to speculation that has nothing whatsoever to do with reality”….
….How did Benedict XVI feel??
“Sad. Because, given what it has been possible to ascertain so far, someone close to him seems to be responsible for conduct that is unjustifiable from every point of view. Of course, sorrow for the person involved is what the Pope feels most deeply. Yet the fact remains that he has suffered a brutal act: Benedict XVI has seen published papers stolen from his house, letters that were not merely private correspondence but indeed information, reflections, expressions of conscience and even outbursts which he only received by virtue of his ministry.
For this reason the Pontiff is particularly saddened, also because of the violence suffered by those who wrote these letters or writings addressed to him.”
Full Story: The Pope's stolen papers
Source: L'Osservatore Romano
“With the people I have met in the past few hours”, the Archbishop answered, “we looked each other in the eye and I saw dismay and anxiety, but I also noted the determination to continue their silent and faithful service to the Pope”; an attitude breathed every day in the life of the Holy See’s offices and in the small Vatican world, but which obviously does not make news in the media storm unleashed after the serious and, in many ways, disconcerting events of the past few days.
In this context, the Substitute weighs his words carefully to emphasize “the positive outcome” of the investigation, even though the outcome was regrettable. Reactions across the world, moreover, which on the one hand are justified, on the other “are worrying and disconcerting because of the manner in which the information was obtained which has given rise to speculation that has nothing whatsoever to do with reality”….
….How did Benedict XVI feel??
“Sad. Because, given what it has been possible to ascertain so far, someone close to him seems to be responsible for conduct that is unjustifiable from every point of view. Of course, sorrow for the person involved is what the Pope feels most deeply. Yet the fact remains that he has suffered a brutal act: Benedict XVI has seen published papers stolen from his house, letters that were not merely private correspondence but indeed information, reflections, expressions of conscience and even outbursts which he only received by virtue of his ministry.
For this reason the Pontiff is particularly saddened, also because of the violence suffered by those who wrote these letters or writings addressed to him.”
Full Story: The Pope's stolen papers
Source: L'Osservatore Romano
