The Secret Report Benedict Wrote for Francis

By Marco Tosatti
Vatican Insider
March 23, 2013

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/vatilekas-23479/

The Vatileaks case still casts a shadow over the Vatican

Pope Francis will have some reading to do in the next few days. And not so much the report by the three Cardinal "wise men" on Vatileaks, as a staff memorandum written by Benedict XVI, a kind of user's manual. It was mentioned in Avvenire (the newspaper of the Italian Bishop's Conference) by Archbishop Loris Capovilla, secretary to John XXIII, whose 98 years have not dimmed, but if anything, added to, his lucidity. Speaking with the nephew of the "Good Pope" (Roncalli), Camarillo said "anyway, and I'm not referring to the Vatileaks dossier, Benedict XVI has left on his successor's desk something like three hundred pages written personally to his attention, that's what they tell me in Rome". Like a good captain, Pope Ratzinger has left a "delivery" for the one who would take over the helm of the boat.

And it is likely that it is to these travel notes, more than the report by the three Cardinals, that Pope Francis will be devoting his attention. Criticism and doubts are growing about this latter report, the more it comes to light just how the Commission went about its work. Relying primarily on the "complaints" of the current Nuncio to the United States, Carlo Maria Vigano, and above all recording statements and accusations but without, in many cases, permitting a cross-examination. Limiting itself merely to recording them. One of the most controversial points concerns the so-called "investigation", organized by Vigano at the Governorate, of a priest, Paolo Nicolini. Mons. Nicolini, highly esteemed by Ruini, was also esteemed by Vigano, who often asked him for advice of a technical and administrative character. According to people informed, Mons. Nicolini was also consulted by the Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone. who asked him for technical information on the Governorate, of which Vigano was Secretary, and perhaps even about Vigano himself. This led Vigano to think Mons. Nicolini was playing a kind of double game, and when Bertone announced that he was not to become Cardinal, but would go off to be the Nuncio to the United States, the transparency case exploded.

A commission was created, headed by a close friend of Vigano, Mons. Egidio Turnaturi. And, as Vatican Insider wrote, they found "other accusations regarding Mons. Nicolini to be unfounded as well, although the Commission deemed it had found evidence of certain alleged character traits and suggested measures be taken".

Also important was the speech by the President of the Governorate, Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, who specified many points, claiming, inter alia, for the entire team and for himself, the merit of having initiated a work of transparency.

But the imbalance in the Vatileaks report by the three Cardinals in favour of what Vigano was claiming, together with other elements, reflects negatively on the credibility of the entire report. Also because some cracks have appeared in the image of the great accuser, and not minor ones at all. He has never been willing (more than a year after his departure for the United States) to make available the apartment he occupied at the Governorate, which is still closed with all his furniture inside. Cardinal Bertone had written a letter, asking him to give the keys back to the Vatican; but for some reason (friendships and covers in the Secretariat of State?) for a long time the message was not sent.

In addition, just a few days ago the news came out alleging that Vatileaks all springs from a lie. Lorenzo Vigano, a Jesuit biblical scholar, has declared in an interview that his brother "lied to Ratzinger when he asked to remain in Rome because he had to take care of me, sick". According to what has been written, to oppose the transfer to Washington, Carlo Maria Vigano allegedly wrote to Pope Ratzinger saying that he could not leave on account of the "necessary, dutiful and direct assistance" that engaged in towards his brother. Lorenzo, who lives in Chicago, says in the interview that he is fine, and has not spoken with his brother for two years, due to "tensions on account of our inheritance". And he says, "it is very serious that Carlo Maria has written falsely to the Pope, instrumentalizing me for personal ends".

Unfortunately, it seems, the three wise men (Cardinals Herranz, Tomko and De Giorgi) would, perhaps out of respect for the establishment, have given much credence to allegations by Vigano. Among other things, interrogating Secretary of State Bertone as they would any ordinary person under accusation... A line that in the light of what is emerging casts a shadow on the reliability of the entire report.