The Vatican Is Full of Moles and Spies

By Guido Horst
Vatican Insider
February 14, 2012

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Who wants to betray the Pope?

Confidential documents of the Secretariat of State have been leaked to the press with the objective of damaging Cardinal Bertone, but they ended up having the opposite effect

It was a particularly peaceful Sunday in the Apostolic Palace. Swiss Guards in civilian clothes escorted the guests with their usual tranquillity, in glaring contrast to the nervous anxiety with which the mass media have been following step by step the indiscretions that have leaked from the Vatican. The recent publications of confidential Vatican documents appear to be aimed at giving the impression that there is a conspiracy against a severely ill Pope, but how much awareness or lack of it there is within the papal household in relation to these rumours?

Firstly it must be mentioned that Cardinal Paolo Romeo's trip from Palermo to Beijing last November was common knowledge. He had been invited by Chinese economists and entrepreneurs and the journey had been arranged with the help of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Upon his return, Romeo had punctually sent to the Vatican a detailed report of the meetings he had attended.

The Pope's entourage on the other hand does not know who the author of the 'note', written in German and published last Friday by daily newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, was. It was probably someone from Germany or Austria.

It is also common knowledge that Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, who was just the 'messenger' so to speak, had read said note at the beginning of the year, together with Benedict XVI and called it an 'absurd letter, full of nonsense.' They both agreed to pass the anonymous note to the Second Section of the Vatican Secretariat of State, which deals with foreign affairs, and there the note was supposed to be consigned to oblivion.

It came as a shock to those close to the Pope to find out that in that particular office of the Vatican Secretariat of State, in this section, lead by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, documents and files are clearly not safe anymore.

It was hardly surprising that the letters written by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò (letters that two weeks ago caused great commotion) had slipped through the fingers of some treacherous mole working in the Vatican Secretariat of State. But it is a novel and lamentable fact for those close to the Pope that copies of documents and contracts have been sneaked out from the Second Section.

The indiscretions of the last few weeks have raised doubts over Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. This has been reason enough for Benedict XVI to address his Secretariat of State directly in an even clearer and more decisive manner. On the other hand, if someone was trying to damage the image of Cardinal Bertone hoping the Secretary would be pushed away, this someone would be disappointed to find out he has achieved the exact opposite. Pope Benedict XVI strongly supports his Secretary of State whom he holds in high regard and with whom he has a warm friendship.

And that is that, at least for now.