Despite cardinals’ oath, details of their meetings are leaked
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican continued to struggle Thursday to stem information leaks to Italian media, allegedly by clerics gathered for private meetings in advance of their eagerly anticipated conclave to elect a new pope.
La Stampa newspaper alleged that a senior European cardinal had asked to know the identities of two laypeople reportedly named in a secret report commissioned by Pope Benedict XVI on corruption in the Vatican. The request was turned down, the report said.
About 150 cardinals have been meeting daily this week at the Vatican to discuss the future of the Roman Catholic Church and to form opinions about possible candidates to succeed Benedict, who retired last week.
Despite the prelates’ sworn oath to keep details of the proceedings secret, Italian newspapers have provided daily leaked accounts of which cardinals have spoken and of the reluctance on the part of some to agree on a date for the conclave until they are told more about alleged infighting and mismanagement at the Vatican.
Cardinals had been allowed to give interviews as long as they skirted the details of the meetings, known as general congregations. But that practice came to an end when the cardinals agreed Wednesday to refrain from all contact with reporters.
The decision put a lid on the popular daily briefings given by cardinals from the United States, leading critics to allege that the ban was aimed primarily at halting the Americans’ bid to bring some transparency to the traditionally secretive Vatican.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, when asked Thursday whether the cardinals might consider further measures to stop leaks, said, “We count on the responsibility and morality of people.”
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the U.S. cardinals, drew a contrast between the news media culture of Italy and that of the United States.
“Our culture is to call a press conference and tell everyone,” she said. Italy, she said, “is a land of leaks.”
Also Thursday, the Italian daily La Repubblica published an interview with an unnamed source at the Vatican who said he had cooperated with Benedict’s butler, who was caught leaking embarrassing papal correspondence in 2012. The man said he was one of 20 such whistle-blowers at large within the Vatican and promised another leak of information about wrongdoing within the Holy See.
The last of 115 cardinal electors due in Rome, Viet- nam’s Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, arrived Thursday, so a vote on a start date for the conclave could come as early as Friday.
After a week in which cardinals have discussed reform of the Vatican’s bureau- cracy, cardinals were briefed about Vatican finances and given an early look at financial reports, which will officially be released in July.