As Holy See Hunts for Evidence, Three Italians Are Said to Be Involved
By Giacomo Galeazzi & Francesco Grignetti
Investigations into emails and phone calls and collaboration with public prosecutors continues. Meanwhile, the Secret Services have received a request for help Paolo Gabriele is still the only person being investigated for the leak of documents from the papal apartments, but suspicions seem to lead to three more lay officials working in the Vatican, who reside in Italy. "The Vatican magistrates will ask for the help of the Italian justice if their inquiry found Italian citizens to be involved," the Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi stated. "These are tragic days," the head of the Vatican Gendarmerie, Domenico Giani added. Giani used to work for the Sisde, the Italian secret services and so far the Holy See has appealed twice to the Italian intelligence for support. First of all a month ago when the mole started leaking confidential papers to the mass media and the Vatican formally asked the Italian government for help. In that instance the secret services were authorized to collaborate with the Gendarmerie. The culprits however were not found. The second time was when Inspector General Giani apparently called for support from the Italians again, from both police and intelligence, to intercept phone calls and emails. But the help could not be given without authorization from political authorities. The Gendarmerie continued its investigations and now we are at a turning point. As previously mentioned, at the top of the list of suspects there are three lay people working in the Vatican, who are however Italian citizens, residing in Rome. According to the Vatican inspectors their involvement is evident. Perhaps inspectors are simply waiting for them to make a wrong move. So far, the Italian magistrates were not asked to send any rogatory letters, but if necessary, it should be fairly easy for the Vatican to ask for assistance from the Judiciary system and confiscate their private computers. Moreover, emails are kept up to five years on internet servers. It should be simple, come the right time, to verify if one of them illegally handled confidential documents. The disloyal butler met with his lawyers Carlo Fusco and Cristiana Arrù yesterday, but the formal questioning will begin in a few days. The situation appears seriously compromised. Yesterday, Fr. Lombardi explained that the evidence found in the butler's house is enough to justify the charges against him. But perhaps Paolo Gabriele was just a pawn in this game, not even an important piece. He was probably the 'postman' in charge of taking the documents outside the Vatican walls. Now, Paolo Gabriele apparently wants to collaborate with the Vatican's investigators. His help will be "extensive, fruitful and positive" according to Fr. Lombardi. In the meantime he was moved to another cell, still inside the Vatican jail, and is being kept under constant surveillance. There are CCTV cameras working 24 hours a day in the cell and in the toilet. The cardinals' committee in charge of the inquiry is carrying on with its interviews. The three cardinals De Giorgi, Herranz and Tomko want to "do their job in peace" and in full coordination with the Tribunal and the Gendarmerie. The false rumours concerning the questioning of five cardinals might have originated from the interviews held by the committee. "The committee" - Fr. Lombardi reminded - "can meet with some cardinals simply because they are the people in charge of offices in the Roman Curia," but these interviews should not automatically be linked to the butler's arrest. In one of the meetings reference was apparently made to a mysterious list of free masons clerics. Such mention brings back memories of the dark time of the 'Ecclesia' masonic lodge that was discovered 34 years ago and whose members included dozens of cardinals and bishops from the Curia.
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