Power Struggle in the Vatican -- Benedict XVI's Plan to Finish it -- New Secretary of State?

Edit: A book appearing in Italian has caused much disquiet in the Vatican and has angered Benedict XVI. Everything revolves upon the recent appearance of "Sua Santita" (Your Holiness) by Gianluigi Nuzzi. Within there are numerous letters direct from the Pope or his personal secretary Msgr Georg Gänswein, confidential letters. Regarding the breach of trust and the damage to the private sphere, it has infuriated the Pope. The Vatican announced last Saturday that it plans to proceed legally with respect of a "theft" and "receiving of stolen goods". Legal steps have already been considered both within and outside of the Vatican.

Code name "maria" -- behind the data leak in the staff surrounding Cardinal Sodano is suspected

The Journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi insists that "Maria" is his source. Behind the code name there are several personalities, who -- so says the author -- documents what the Vatican would have kept damned up, in order to bring the Church State's suppressed facts into the light.

What is sold to the public as a "noble deed" in the "struggle against dark powers" is seen quite differently in the Vatican. Behind the publication of the confidential documents is placed a power struggle of the old guard, who were in control before the appointment of the non-diplomat Cardinal Tarscio Bertone as Secretary of State. The main source for the data skimming are suspected to be associates of Bertone's predecessor Cardinal Sodano.

Bertone's Appointment was not Digested by the "Old Guard"

Cardinal Sodano originated in contrast too his successor from the renowned Diplomatic Academy in the Piazza Minerva in Rome. Not that Cardinal Sodano himself is to be considered as an initiator, very probably however, his closest associates. The public dissemination of the leaks has only one goal: to discredit the current occupant of the Cardinal Secretary and also to strike at Pope Benedict through that.

Many of the letters published in Nuzzi's book are top secret. The Secretary of the Pope will, after he has read them, then conduct them from the Papal residence to the Secretary of State. There someone intercepted them made photocopies and disseminated these. The leak has been looked for throughout the hierarchy of the Church State. The perpetrators or perpetrator had at least an intentional or unintentional cover. Only then will it be known how they moved about in the smallest city state in the world.

The Investigation Commission Reckons Quick Discovery

An ad hoc investigation commission under the direction of Cardinal Julian Herranz, Josef Tomko and Salvatore de Giorgi should place a name on the lea and bring to light, who did this "monstrous" and "criminal breach of confidence". The machinations are already in motion. It will be determined that the responsible will be very quickly discovered. The circle of persons, and the access to secret documents in the archive of the Secretary of State is very small.

Diplomats Against Salesians

The new governing style of Cardinal Bertone in the Secretariat finds its way and can be summed up under the formula "less diplomacy and more Gospel", which pushes the old team to anger. In addition to that there were several errors that the new Cardinal Secretary of State committed, especially in the first five years of the reign of Pope Benedict XVI. It was not enough for Cardinal Bertone to be the prophetic and intellectual to support the momentum of the Pope and make it visible within the Church and outside. Above all, he carried within the Roman Curia a Salesian preference to items that traditionally were in the hands of Vatican Diplomacy. The Cardinal Secretary of State is himself a Salesian of Don Bosco. He desire to surround himself with people he trusts, of course. The newly appointed were distinguished with academic qualifications, but it's the additional fact that they have no diplomatic experience. For that reason the cleft between the new and the old guard has been deepened. The appointment of the Bishop of Savona, Domenico Calcagno, as apostolic administrator of the Holy See, Bishop of Vercelli, Giuseppe Versaldi, prefect for the Economic Affairs and the rector of the Salesian University, Enrico Dal Covolo, at the Pontifical Lateran University. All three qualified for these tasks undoubtedly raised the ire of the old team. And it seems that the anger was so great that they felt it would be necessary to have a new Secretary of State. In this mood were the nominations of the Pope himself, which touched on his closest circle, as an object of criticism. There were the new secretaries, of course, brought their own way of working, and the women who lead the papal household. John Paul II had to be nuns, preferably Benedict XVI. consecrated laymen of Memores Domini, as the Vatikanist Paolo Rodari notes.

Viganò's Case Made the Struggle Public

The case exemplifies Viganò's grave internal struggle and let him be openly visible to the outside for the first time. This was followed in rapid succession and are thus likely to be directly related. Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a faithful follower of the former Secretary of State Cardinal Sodano, Secretary of the Governorate since 2009, the Papal State, was removed in October 2011 before the expiration of his term of office of the Roman Curia. Viganò, number two in the administrative office of the Papal States, wanted to become the new governor and compete to succeed Cardinal Lajolo. Instead, he was deported to the post of nuncio to the United States of America. The ambassadorship is one of the most prestigious in the world, but Viganò did not want his "deportation" to take place without a word. Probably in the hope of being able to prevent his transfer, the first "bomb" was placed by the Curial Archbishop himself Er wrote several letters, among other things, to the Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone and Pope Benedict XVI., In which he called the names of those from whom he claimed that they had placed him in a bad light "to polish him off" with the goal to leave him out. The letter to Cardinal Bertone was leaked to the media and then read in a television broadcast by journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, who has since published a book. The cost to Viganò in the U.S. was so ill-timed. Especially now that the bishops are locked in a bitter confrontation against President Obama for religious freedom.

The "Old Guard" Campaigned for Vignano


Viganò maintained in the letter that he had been removed because he wanted to take action against "lazy apples" who had allegedly doing business for themselves behind the Pope's back. He did not forget to note that these "apples" stood close to the Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone. But there is nothing more could be done. The Pope had decided that Viganò after his two strongly worded letters which immediately appeared in the media, and probably because of it, should leave Rome. He had to go although in his favor, and ultimately against Secretary of State Bertone, several important cardinals had offered support who invariably belonged to the old guard of John Paul II and who had prevailed mainly in the last years of his pontificate. Among them was Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the former prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, who was regarded in 2006 as a possible successor to Sodano as Cardinal Secretary of State, Cardinal Georges Cottier, theologian of the Pontifical House, and especially Cardinal Agostino Cacciavillan who sent the Pope an urgent letter, and is also a close companion of Cardinal Sodano.


Benedict XVI's determined advocate of transparency is intended to be discredited as "coverup man".

One purpose of the publicly leaked documents is also to discredit Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope, who more than any other, has been an advocate from the very beginning of his pontificate and has internally insisted on the tackling on several occasions the unpleasant and painful affairs openly and aggressively, and this was not only demanded of the pedophile scandal, but exemplified by the new rules that should target indiscretions could be conceived in distorted manners like "patching" and "coverup". Whoever committed this breach of trust proved himself to be aware of the anti-religious sentiments of many journalists. "New Guard" did not give expected backing to the Pope.

The truth is quite different than it appears

Behind the backs of the Pope two groups contribute to the Roman Curia in a bitter struggle against each other: the old guard, which Benedict XVI. wanted to overthrow after his election and the new guard, which he gave his confidence, but that expectation has not really paid out. The hoped-for support and strengthen the reform and renewal plan that Pope Benedict XVI. envision for the Church and with whom he wants to equip the church for the third millennium did not materialize. These include a profound reorientation as those in Europe to abandon the traditional idea of ​​a national church. It seems different, heterodox old forces want desperately to hold on to. To some extent they also include the paradox of "grassroots" groups that adorn themselves with the label of radical to the old forces that desperately want to hold on. The pope sees the other hand, as a faithful Catholic minority in Europe and ventures in contrast to the say-so of bishops and lay representatives. He sees that his task is to strengthen the minority and not indulge in the fiction of a national church, which no longer exists.

The Pope actually victims of intrigue - appointment of a new Cardinal Secretary of State?

Pope Benedict XVI. is the real victim of scheming game with this. But the pope is different than commonly assumed, a strong man of action. His understanding of many things is distinguished only by prevailing ideas. At the Roman Curia things are undergoing structural alterations, including the appointment of a new Cardinal Secretary of State. As a candidate for the office of the Vatican's "prime minister" there is the French Curial Archbishop Dominique Mamberti. Mamberti, currently Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Secretariat of State, and thus is the "foreign minister" of the Holy See is one of the Diplomatic Corps. He is said to possess the ability to work well with both factions too. This peace is what the Pope desires in order to free the back for its renewal program. Thus lie ahead with the appointment of a new prefect of the Congregation in two key changes. his plans for a fundamental transformation of the Roman Curia.

The Pope Plans a Fundamental Transformation of the Roman Curia

Pope Benedict XVI. Last Wednesday, took advantage of a meeting with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to speak about the future of the SSPX, was to receive the Regensburg Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller in audience. Personnel decisions have not been on either of the items. Which is why all there are still other names included for the Secretary of State and the CDF.
German Text: Giuseppe Nardi Bild: Petrus Translation: Tancred Link to katholisches...