Vatican Denies Removal of Three New Alleged Poison Pen Letter Writers

Vatican Insider
July 23, 2012

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/the-vatican/detail/articolo/vatileaks-vaticano-vatican-17017/

Fr. Federico Lombardi

The director of the Vatican Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi has denied fresh claims by Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica and Germany’s Die Welt online in relation to the Vatileak issue.

Joseph Ratzinger’s three long-term collaborators – Cardinal Paolo Sardi, Bishop Joseph Clemens and Mrs. Ingrid Stampa - who were dragged in to the Vatican document leak scandal as suspected accomplices of the Pope’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, are three “respected individuals” said the Holy See’s spokesman. Fr. Lombardi stated that the newspaper falsely and incorrectly refers to them as “accomplices” following up on a Die Welt scoop which was ignored by most of the German press because of its inaccuracies. Fr. Lombardi said the story was exaggerated.

“This morning’s article in La Repubblica newspaper on the leaked Vatican documents, copies (in some cases entire expressions, not just the final quotation) an article by Paul Badde, published on the online version of German newspaper Die Welt a week ago (15 July),” the Vatican spokesman said. La Repubblica’s article adds nothing new to the “Die Welt” article which was ignored by most of the German press precisely because of the inaccuracies it contains and the accusations it makes against certain individuals without producing any proof whatsoever. It was for this reason that I decided not to react to it so strongly.”

Out of duty, the newspaper states: “Obviously the presumption of innocence principle is valid for all.” But given the content of the article, this comment seems hypocritical to say the least. As far as the alleged “removal” of certain cardinals from their posts is concerned, Cardinal Sardi left his position in the Secretariat of State because he reached the age limit for cardinals (75), Mrs. Stampa continues to work in the Secretariat of State and Clemens has been Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity for a number of years and Die Welt’s claim that he received a letter from the Pope is false.”