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Vatican may take action against ‘Vatileaks’ books

The Vatican has denounced the publication this week of two books by Italian authors, believed to be based on leaks from hackers releasing information regarding the famously murky world of its finances.

Vatican may take action against 'Vatileaks' books
The Vatican has denounced the publication this week of two books by Italian authors, believed to be based on leaks from hackers. Photo: Filippo Monteforte

The Vatican may take legal action against the books written by Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi in what it says were “the fruit of a serious betrayal of the trust given by the pope and, as regards the authors, of an operation to gain advantage from the gravely illegal act of obtaining confidential documentation,” Ansa cited the Holy See as saying in a statement.

The two books – ‘Merchants in the Temple’ by Nuzzi and ‘Avarice’ by Fittipaldi – are due to be released on Wednesday.

Nuzzi was also embroiled in the 2012 'Vatileaks' scandal, as his book, ‘His Holiness’, was based on leaked documents he received from Paolo Gabriele, the former butler of Pope Benedict.

The leaks revealed fierce infighting in the highest echelons of the Catholic Church and allegations of serious fraud in the running of the city state.

The Vatican said on Monday that a Spanish prelate had been arrested for allegedly stealing and leaking classified documents.

Monsignor Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, who served on a special commission set up by Pope Francis to advise him on economic reform within the Vatican, was arrested as part of an investigation into the “misappropriation and disclosure of classified documents and information”.

The arrest followed Italian media reports at the weekend that Vatican police were investigating the attempted theft of a laptop belonging to Libero Milone, the head of the city state's new finance office.

Balda was hauled in for questioning on Saturday along with a second member of the commission, Francesca Chaouquil, after a probe lasting several months, a Vatican statement said.

Both were arrested but Chaouqui was released by Vatican prosecutor Roberto Zannotti on Monday because she agreed to collaborate with investigators and was not considered a flight risk.

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WOMEN

Pope appoints French woman to senior synod post

Pope Francis has broken with Catholic tradition to appoint a woman as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops, the first to hold the post with voting rights in a body that studies major questions of doctrine.

Pope appoints French woman to senior synod post
Pope Francis has appointed Nathalie Becquart as undersecretary of the synod of bishops. She is the first woman to hold the post. Photo: AFP

Frenchwoman Nathalie Becquart is one of the two new undersecretaries named on Saturday to the synod, where she has been a consultant since 2019.

The appointment signals the pontiff's desire “for a greater participation of women in the process of discernment and decision-making in the church”, said Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary-general of the synod.

“During the previous synods, the number of women participating as experts and listeners has increased,” he said.

“With the nomination of Sister Nathalie Becquart and her possibility of participating in voting, a door has opened.”

The synod is led by bishops and cardinals who have voting rights and also comprises experts who cannot vote, with the next gathering scheduled for autumn 2022.

A special synod on the Amazon in 2019 saw 35 female “auditors” invited to the assembly, but none could vote.

The Argentinian-born pope has signalled his wish to reform the synod and have women and laypeople play a greater role in the church.

He named Spaniard Luis Marin de San Martin as the other under undersecretary in the synod of bishops.

Becquart, 52, a member of the France-based Xaviere Sisters, has a master's degree in management from the prestigious HEC business school in Paris and studied in Boston before joining the order.

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