Pope Francis Has Asked Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi To Carry Out A Ukraine Peace Mission

FILE - President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, speaks during a news conference in Rome, May 27, 2022. Pope Francis the cardinal to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine, the Vatican said on Saturday.  

VOA/Reuters: Pope Asks Italian Cardinal to Carry Out Ukraine Peace Mission 

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops' conference, to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine, the Vatican said on Saturday. 

Francis first spoke cryptically of his intention to launch a mission when he was returning from a trip to Hungary last month but gave no details. 

A Vatican diplomatic source said Zuppi would try to meet separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Because of history Orthodox Russians are always skeptical on what the Vatican wants to do ... including this peace mission. But apparently so are many in the West .... Why Pope Francis isn’t with the West on Ukraine (Modern Diplomacy). 

As to what is my take. Both sides are not interested in peace right now. But someone has to start a dialogue. 

Vatican To Carry Out A Ukraine Peace Mission  

Vatican: Pope Francis tasks cardinal with mission aimed at paving ‘paths to peace’ in Ukraine -- AP  

Pope asks Italian cardinal to carry out Ukraine peace mission -- Reuters  

Pope Asks Italian Cardinal To Lead Ukraine Peace Mission -- AFP  

Pope asks Italian cardinal to carry out peace 'mission' on Ukraine war -- The National

Pope appoints cardinal to lead Ukraine peace mission -- Ukrinform

Pope Francis Orders All Church Financial Liquid Assets To Be Transfered To The Vatican Bank By October 1

Reuters: Pope further tightens controls, centralisation of Vatican finances 

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Tuesday acted to eliminate wiggle room or foot- dragging by Vatican departments in imposing tighter financial controls, setting a deadline for the closing of investment portfolios in foreign banks, including in Italy. 

Francis issued a document known as a “rescriptum,” or re-writing, making clear that all investments by all departments would have to go through the Vatican bank under new rules that come into effect on Sept. 1.

A greater role for the bank is a key plank in a centralisation policy announced last month that strips all Vatican departments of the ability to invest their funds independently.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Pope imposes deadline for Vatican to transfer assets to bank (AP)  

Update #2: Pope Francis instructs Vatican entities to move all funds to Vatican bank by Sept. 30 (CNA)  

WNU Editor: With financial and economic turmoil the new normal in international markets, you have to wonder what does the Vatican know that we do not know?

Did The Soviet Union Have Role In The Shooting Of Pope John Paul II?

Pope John Paul after being shot on 13 May 1981/Vatican photo

Kevin Mooney, The Daily Signal: CIA Confirmed Russians’ Role in Shooting of Pope John Paul II, Reagan Biographer Writes

Contrary to what “pragmatists” in U.S. government agencies concluded, top officials with the Soviet Union were behind the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, a biographer of Ronald Reagan told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview.

Paul Kengor, a Grove City College political science professor and author, has acquired what he calls never-before-seen information about the Reagan administration’s “supersecret investigation” into the shooting and wounding of the pope.

The information details the role of the Soviet GRU, the Russians’ brutal foreign military intelligence unit, and KGB spy agency head Yuri Andropov in the attempt on John Paul II’s life, Kengor said.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Did Soviet leader Brezhnev and KGB head Andropov have a hand in the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II? This is a story that has interested me since the beginning .... but as much as I love a good conspiracy story .... I have never come across any concrete evidence that proves this Soviet involvement.

The Vatican Takes A Stand Against Killer Robots

Patheos: Killer robots? They’re a real issue – and here’s what the Vatican has to say

No longer relegated to mere science-fiction, robots – built to kill people – play an increasing role in fighting terrorism alongside other new weapons of war.

But what's resulting in a mounting headache for the United Nations in terms of checks and sanctions is actually something that the Church can and should speak into, say Catholic leaders, including the Vatican.

With the nickname “killer robots,” fully autonomous weapons are designed with the ability to choose and engage targets without human involvement. Drones, a prototype for this kind of artillery, are already in use by multiple countries across the globe including the United States, Russia, China and the U.K.

WNU Editor: Even the Vatican is recognizing how warfare is changing.

Why Did Pope Francis Appease The Castro Brothers?

Washington Post editorial: Pope Francis appeases the Castros in repressive Cuba

IN HIS visit to the United States beginning Tuesday, Pope Francis will meet not just President Obama and Congress but also those marginalized by our society: homeless people, immigrants, refugees and even the inmates of a jail. He’s expected to raise topics that many Americans will find challenging, such as his harsh critique of capitalism. His supporters say it’s all part of the role the pope has embraced as an advocate for the powerless, one that has earned him admiration from both Catholics and some outside the church.

How, then, to explain Pope Francis’s behavior in Cuba? The pope is spending four days in a country whose Communist dictatorship has remained unrelenting in its repression of free speech, political dissent and other human rights despite a warming of relations with the Vatican and the United States. Yet by the end of his third day, the pope had said or done absolutely nothing that might discomfit his official hosts.

WNU Editor: He will meet American prisoners but not Cuban political prisoners?!?!?! At moments like this .... I miss John Paul II .... because you know he would never do that. In fact .... what makes John Paul II unique in eastern Europe is that he always stood his ground when it came to confronting Communist dictatorships .... Cuba included. Sighhh .... I guess I live in different times.

Was The Pope Kept Waiting Because President Obama Was Late To Meet Him?

The Atlantic: Why the Pope's Plane Was Put Into a Holding Pattern

As the pope stalkers of the world watched his flight path on the Alitalia website, suddenly… the plane started making donuts. Several loops over North Carolina later, the pope is back on his way to D.C.

A source on the ground at Joint Base Andrews said several government officials told him the reason the plane started circling was that Obama and Biden were running late to the greeting ceremony.

A White House spokesman disputed this account. He pointed out that the president did not actually arrive late. The Pope deplaned at 4 p.m., precisely as scheduled, and the president was on hand to greet him.

WNU Editor: The President was late. But what I find interesting about this story is that the western press has always been critical of Russian President Putin being late ... even keeping the Pope waiting once .... Why is Vladimir Putin always late? (The Guardian). Talk of a double standard?

Pope Francis In Cuba

Reuters: Pope meets Fidel Castro, warns against ideology on Cuba trip

Pope Francis met Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Sunday hours after warning Cubans to beware the dangers of ideology and the lure of selfishness as their country enters a new era of closer ties with the United States.

Latin America's first pope and Castro, the region's last surviving leftist icon of the 20th century, discussed religion and world affairs at the home of the 89-year-old retired president for about 40 minutes.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the meeting, which included Castro's wife and other family members, was "very relaxed, fraternal and friendly."

WNU Editor: I am not surprised that Fidel Castro showed up .... colostomy bag and all. I wish Pope Francis made a point of seeing some of the opposition in Cuba .... but I guess that was asking for too much. Next stop for the Pope ... the U.S. .... and some interesting guests that President Obama wants to introduce to him .... Vatican Disputes White House Guest List for Papal Visit (WSJ).

A Revolt In The Vatican?

Newly elected Pope Francis appears at the window of his future private apartment to bless the faithful, gathered below in St. Peter's Square, during the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican March 17, 2013. REUTERS/MAX ROSSI

Washington Post: A conservative revolt is brewing inside the Vatican

VATICAN CITY — On a sunny morning earlier this year, a camera crew entered a well-appointed apartment just outside the 9th-century gates of Vatican City. Pristinely dressed in the black robes and scarlet sash of the princes of the Roman Catholic Church, the Wisconsin-born Cardinal Raymond Burke sat in his elaborately upholstered armchair and appeared to issue a warning to Pope Francis.

A staunch conservative and Vatican bureaucrat, Burke had been demoted by the pope a few months earlier, but it did not take the fight out of him. Francis had been backing a more inclusive era, giving space to progressive voices on divorced Catholics as well as gays and lesbians. In front of the camera, Burke said he would “resist” liberal changes — and seemed to caution Francis about the limits of his authority. “One must be very attentive regarding the power of the pope,” Burke told the French news crew.

WNU Editor: The Cardinals must have known what they were getting when they elected Pope Francis to the Papacy. Is this buyer's remorse .... it sounds like it. In the meantime .... Pope Francis prepares for most political trip yet (AFP).

Israeli And Palestinian Presidents Pray At The Vatican

Faithful wave Palestinian flags as Pope Francis delivers his Regina Coeli prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican June 8, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito

Israeli, Palestinian Presidents In Unprecedented Vatican Prayers -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian presidents meet in an unprecedented prayer meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday, a gesture he hopes will "re-create a desire, a possibility" of relaunching the Middle East's stalled peace process.

The Vatican has played down any expectations that the Sunday evening meeting between Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas - billed as a "pause from politics" - will lead to any immediate breakthroughs in the region's tortuous problems and says it is not meddling in regional issues.

"No one is presumptuous enough to think peace will break out on Monday," said Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a Church official in charge of Catholic sites in the Holy Land and a key organiser of the encounter.

Read more ....

My Comment: I never expected to see this in my lifetime.

Pope Francis Visits The Holy Land

Pope Prays At Israel's West Bank Separation Barrier -- BBC

Pope Francis has prayed at the concrete barrier Israel is building in and around the West Bank during his three-day tour of the Middle East.

The unscheduled stop came after he called for an end to the "increasingly unacceptable" Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Speaking in Bethlehem, the Pope invited the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to the Vatican to pray for peace.

The tour's official purpose is to improve ties with the Orthodox Church.

The Pope is to meet Bartholomew I, the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, in Jerusalem later - to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a historic meeting of Catholic and Orthodox leaders who moved to end 900 years of division between the two churches.

Read more ....

More News On Pope Francis` Visit To The Holy Land

LIVE: Pope Francis in first visit to Israel -- Haaretz
WATCH LIVE: Pope arrives at Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem -- Jerusalem Post
Pope takes pilgrimage to Bethlehem -- AFP
Pope prays for peace at Separation Wall -- Al Jazeera
Peace-broker Pope extends invitation to Israeli and Palestinian presidents to visit him at the Vatican during Bethlehem mass -- Daily Mail
Pope Francis prays at West Bank barrier wall -- The Telegraph
Pope condemns deadly Brussels attack -- AP
Pope Francis calls Israeli-Palestinian stalemate unacceptable -- The Guardian
Pope blasts arms dealers at start of Mideast trip -- AP
Pope Francis Draws Shrinking Christian Flock in Holy Land -- Time

Update: Israeli, Palestinian Leaders Agree to Vatican Peace Meeting -- VOA

Vatican Denies Claims That The Pope Stayed Silent During Argentina's 'Dirty War'

Vatican Press Secretary, Fr Tom Rosica, said the accusations must be "firmly and clearly denied" (Photo shows Pope supporters in St Peter's Square)

Vatican Denies Dirty War Allegations Against Pope -- BBC

The Vatican has denied that Pope Francis failed to speak out against human rights abuses during military rule in his native Argentina.

"There has never been a credible, concrete accusation against him," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, adding he had never been charged.

The spokesman blamed the accusations on "anti-clerical left-wing elements that are used to attack the Church".

Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, led Argentina's Jesuits under the junta.

Correspondents say that like other Latin American churchmen of the time, he had to contend, on the one hand, with a repressive right-wing regime and, on the other, a wing of his Church leaning towards political activism on the left.

Read more ....

More News On The Vatican Hitting Back At Claims That The Pope Stayed Silent During Argentina's Dirty War

Vatican hits back at claims pope stayed silent during Dirty War -- The Telegraph
Vatican defends Pope Francis against Argentina ‘dirty war’ allegations -- Washington Post
Vatican denies claim that Pope Francis failed to protect Argentina priests -- CNN
Vatican denies Pope ‘Dirty War’ claims -- Financial Times
Vatican lashes out at ‘anti-clerical left-wing’ campaign against pope over Argentina’s ‘dirty war’ actions -- Toronto Star/AP
Pope Francis’s defense against the worst allegation about his role in the dirty war -- Max Fisher, Washington Post
Were Pope Francis' Hands Clean During Argentina's "Dirty War"? -- Abby Ohlheiser, Slate

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio From Argentina Elected Pope, Takes Name Pope Francis I

'Pray For Me,' 76-Year-Old Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio Asks The World As He Is Announced As 266th Pontiff... To Be Named Francis I -- Daily Mail

* Electors sent up white smoke at 6pm GMT indicating that a new Pope had been chosen after two days of voting
* New Pontiff unveiled as Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, taking title Pope Francis I
* Pope Francis appeared before thriving crowds on the balcony of St.Peter's Basilica at 7pm GMT
* He is the first non-European Pope and also the first Jesuit Pope having spent his life in Argentinian capital

The new Pope has been unveiled as Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who will take the name Pope Francis I.

The 76-year-old was welcomed by tens of thousands of overjoyed Catholics in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City after his election was revealed this afternoon at 6pm GMT when white smoke poured out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.

Pope Francis becomes the first South American Pontiff and the first Jesuit to hold the title.

His South American origin - also making him the first non-European Pope - is a significant move for the Church, taking the Papacy to a continent in which 42 per cent of the world's Catholics live.

Known as an avid reformer, he becomes the third non-Italian Pope in a row, having being born and spent his life in the Argentinian capital.

Read more ....

More News On Pope Francis I

Pope Francis I elected: Live -- BBC
Live Updates: Day Two of the Papal Conclave -- Voice of America
Papal conclave in the Vatican - watch live -- The Telegraph
Live Video: Waiting for a Pope -- New York Times
Papal conclave day two: black smoke indicates no decision yet – live -- The Guardian
Papal conclave Live -- Reuters
Live Report: Papal conclave begins -- AFP
The selection of Pope Francis I: Live -- CNN
Live Updates – Papal Conclave -- Voice of America
Live coverage of day two of papal conclave -- Washington Post
Live feed as cardinals deliberate for second day to elect new pope -- Herald Sun
No pope yet: More black smoke on second day of papal conclave (LIVE BLOG) -- Global Post
Papal conclave Live: Faithful wait in St Peter’s square waiting for White smoke -- First Post
Papal Conclave 2013 live stream and TV info: Sistine Chapel smoke cam online (Video) -- Examiner

Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected Pope -- BBC
Argentina's Bergoglio elected as new pope -- Reuters
Argentine Jorge Bergoglio elected Pope Francis -- AP
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina elected pope, takes name Pope Francis -- Washington Post
Argentina's Cardinal Bergoglio Elected Pope -- Wall Street Journal
Pope Francis hails from Argentina -- NBC
The New Pope: Bergoglio of Argentina -- New York Times
New pope elected after two days of conclave -- The Guardian
Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio Becomes Pope Francis -- Voice of America
Pope Francis I: Cardinals chose 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church -- CBS
With a Wave, Pope Francis Makes Debut -- ABC News
Pope Francis: the humble pontiff with practical approach to poverty -- The Guardian
New Argentine Pope Faces Church Splits -- Wall Street Journal
CNN Vatican analyst: Pope Francis' name 'precedent shattering' -- CNN
Francis is first pope from the Americas -- AP
Argentina, Latin America react with joy at first pope from the hemisphere -- Washington Post/AP
Profile: Pope Francis I -- BBC

BREAKING NEWS: A New Pope Has Been Selected -- Live Video And Updates

Live broadcasting by Ustream
Live Updates: Day Two of the Papal Conclave -- Voice of America
Papal conclave in the Vatican - watch live -- The Telegraph
Live Video: Waiting for a Pope -- New York Times
Papal conclave day two: black smoke indicates no decision yet – live -- The Guardian
Papal conclave Live -- Reuters
Live Report: Papal conclave begins -- AFP
Live Updates – Papal Conclave -- Voice of America
Live coverage of day two of papal conclave -- Washington Post
Live feed as cardinals deliberate for second day to elect new pope -- Herald Sun
No pope yet: More black smoke on second day of papal conclave (LIVE BLOG) -- Global Post
Papal conclave Live: Faithful wait in St Peter’s square waiting for White smoke -- First Post
Papal Conclave 2013 live stream and TV info: Sistine Chapel smoke cam online (Video) -- Examiner

Meet The 20 Men Who Could Be Pope

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

From Rome To Africa: Meet The 20 Men Who Could Be Pope -- NBC 

As the papal conclave begins in Rome, wrapped in mystery and secrecy, there is no indication that the 115 cardinals will be deciding between just a couple of front-runners in choosing a successor to Pope Benedict XVI.

Milan's Cardinal Angelo Scola and Brazil's Cardinal Odilo Scherer are names that keep cropping up on the lists of papabili, but NBC News Vatican analyst George Weigel says no fewer than 20 men could get votes when balloting starts Tuesday in the Sistine Chapel.

They come from the traditional bastions of Italy, from growth areas like sub-Saharan Africa, even from the United States. Only time — and a puff of white smoke — will reveal which one will emerge as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

Read more ....  

My Comment: An interesting collection of cardinals .... but no one can say with certainty who will be the next Pope.

Papal Conclave Begins -- Live Reports And A News Roundup

'Pray For The Cardinals To Elect The Right Pope': Vatican Holds Last Mass Before Papal Election Which Could Deliver Result By 8pm Tonight -- Daily Mail

* Conclave to get under way in Sistine Chapel as church faces upheaval and uncertainty not seen in decades
* Catholics rudderless as there is no front-runner and no sense a single man has what it takes to fix problems
* Cardinals offer wildly different views over next pontiff and how close they were to a decision on eve of vote
* World's 1.2billion Catholics still in turmoil after Benedict XVI's shock resignation last month for health reasons
* 115 cardinals who are eligible to vote started the day with a mass in St Peter's Basilica at 10am local time
* They will enter Sistine Chapel at 4.30pm, intoning Gregorian chant imploring saints to help guide their voting
* They will then lock themselves inside until one candidate receives at least 77 votes required for victory

Cardinals heard a final appeal for unity today before the conclave to elect the next pope as they celebrated Mass with the Catholic Church facing more upheaval and uncertainty than it has seen in decades.

As a Gregorian chant filled St Peter's Basilica, the 115 cardinal electors filed in wearing bright red vestments, many looking grim as if the burden of the imminent vote was weighing on them.

A few hundred people braved thunderstorms and pouring rain to watch the Mass on giant TV screens in St Peter's Square. A handful knelt in prayer, eyes clenched and hands clasped.

Read more ....

More News On The Papal Election

Watch live: papal conclave -- The Telegraph
Papal conclave chooses new pope – day one: live coverage -- The Guardian
Live: Papal Conclave to elect new Pope begins in Vatican -- First Post
Complete BBC Coverage -- BBC
Cardinals hold Vatican conclave to elect new Pope: Live. -- The Telegraph

Cardinals head to conclave to elect pope for troubled Church -- Reuters
Conclave ceremonies underway at the Vatican -- L.A. Times
Cardinals celebrate Mass before entering conclave -- AP
Cardinals gather to elect new pope -- Al Jazeera
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel masterpieces frame papal vote -- Reuters
The election of a pope follows carefully choreographed rules and rituals -- Washington Post
Papal conclave has tight structure, uncertain length -- Washington Post
Ritual and Secrecy Surround Conclave -- New York Times
Inside the Conclave: How the cardinals choose a new pope -- MSNBC
Schedule of voting during the papal conclave -- AP
Cardinals Gather to Choose New Pope -- Voice of America
The oath sworn by cardinals before papal vote -- AP
Secrets of the papal conclave -- CBS
Graphic: how a new Pope is chosen -- The Telegraph
Infographic: Picking new Pope from 'Papabili' -- Al Jazeera
Choose your own pope – with our interactive Pontifficator -- The Guardian

Pope Benedict’s Last Day As Pontiff In 90 Seconds

From The Washington Post: Elizabeth Tenety, editor of The Washington Post’s blog “On Faith,” describes Pope Benedict XVI’s final day as the leader of the Catholic Church, and his departure from Vatican City to his temporary new home in Castel Gandolfo.

Pope Benedict XVI Leaves Vatican For Final Time

Benedict XVI Leaves Vatican On Final Day As Pope -- BBC

Pope Benedict XVI has left the Vatican on his final day as Pope, saying he "will simply be a pilgrim" starting his last journey on earth.

The 85-year-old pontiff was flown by helicopter to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.

At 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) he will officially cease to be the Pope.

His deputy, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, will be in charge of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics until a new pope is elected next month.

Earlier, Benedict met his cardinals, vowing "unconditional obedience and reverence" to his eventual successor.

He will become the first pontiff in 600 years to step down.

Read more ....

More News On Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI resignation -- BBC Live
Pope Benedict XVI's final day: Live Report -- AFP
Pope Benedict XVI Last Day Live Streaming Online (VIDEO) (LIVE UPDATES) (PHOTOS) -- Huffington Post
Text of Pope Benedict XVI’s final public words as pontiff, delivered in Castel Gandolfo -- Washington Post/AP
Pope leaves Vatican before abdication -- Reuters
Pope Benedict quits Vatican with promise to obey successor -- Reuters
After Pledging Loyalty to Successor, Pope Leaves Vatican -- New York Times
Pope Benedict XVI says goodbye to the Vatican -- CBS/AP
'Thank you for your friendship': Benedict leaves Vatican for final time as pope -- NBC
'I am no longer the pope,' Benedict XVI says as he bids public farewell -- CNN
Benedict Departs Vatican, Pledges Obedience to Next Pope -- Voice of America
Pope Benedict XVI leaves Vatican for final time ahead of resignation -- FOX News
Benedict XVI leaves Vatican, issues final tweet -- USA Today
Pope Benedict XVI’s Legacy: Most Europeans Say He Was ‘Not Influential’ in New Poll -- Ollie John, Time

Vatican: Pope Benedict XVI To Step Aside On Feb. 28

Pope Benedict To Become First Pontiff In 600 Years To Resign -- FOX News

In a sudden announcement that caught Catholics around the world off guard, Pope Benedict XVI said he will resign at the end of February, becoming the first pontiff to step down in nearly 600 years.

The 85-year-old pontiff made the announcement Monday, saying he no longer had the strength to carry out his papal duties.

"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," the pope said according to a statement released by the Vatican.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That Pope Benedict XVI To Resign On February 28

Pope Benedict XVI to resign Live -- Reuters
Pope Benedict XVI resigns – live reaction -- The Guardian
Pope Benedict XVI to resign: His announcement.
Pope Benedict XVI to step aside on Feb. 28, Vatican says -- NBC
Pope Benedict stepping down, cites poor health -- Reuters
Pope Benedict XVI to resign, citing age and waning energy -- Washington Post
Pope Benedict XVI Says He Will Resign -- New York Times
Pope Benedict XVI to Resign Papacy for Health Reasons -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Pope Benedict XVI's resignation explained -- CNN

My Comment: I am not a Catholic (I am Russian Orthodox), but I am sensitive to the power of faith. Many in the Western world may have walked away from the Church .... but this is not the case in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The next Pope will be in a position to profoundly events in the world, and this why this blog will be following this news story very closely.

Intrigue And Chaos At The Vatican

Vatican Leakers Say Cardinals Among Plotters In Scandal -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The worst crisis in Pope Benedict's pontificate deepened on Monday when Italian media said at least one cardinal was among those suspected of leaking sensitive documents as part of a power struggle at the top of the Church.

The scandal exploded last week when within a few days the pope's butler was arrested for leaking documents, the head of the Vatican's own bank was abruptly dismissed and a book was published alleging conspiracies among the cardinals or "princes of the Church".

Read more ....

More News On The Vatican Scandal

Pope's butler arrested after leaked church documents revealed allegations of corruption and power struggles with Vatican bank -- Daily Mail
Vatican in chaos after pope’s butler Paolo Gabriele arrested for leaks -- Toronto Star/AP
Vatican confirms pope's butler arrested in scandal -- AP
Vatican faces widening of leaks scandal -- Reuters
Pope's butler arrested in Vatican leaks scandal -- CBC
Butler's Arrest Latest Embarrassment For Vatican -- NPR
Vatican Documents Leaked: Did Butler Paolo Gabriele Do It? -- ABC

Police Find And Arrest The Vatican Leaker In The Vatileaks Investigation

The Pope’s butler, Paolo Gabriele (bottom L) arrives with Pope Benedict XVI (R) at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican, in this file photo taken May 23, 2012. The butler who serves in the apartments of Pope Benedict XVI was arrested on Friday in connection with an investigation into leaks of confidential documents, a senior Vatican source said. Reuters

The Pope's Butler Arrested Following Vatileaks Investigation -- The Telegraph

Vatican police have arrested Pope Benedict XVI's personal butler following an investigation into the leaking of sensitive church documents.

The butler, identified as Paolo Gabriele, 40, was held by gendarmes after a special commission of three top senior cardinals had been appointed by the Pope to identify the source of the leaks which have caused severe embarrassment.

Mr Gabriele, who has been at the Pope’s side for six years, is one of the German born pontiff’s closest members of his inner circle which totals just four lay people and four nuns and he is always at his side.

Read more ....

More News On The Arrest Of The Vatican Leaker

Vatican cops make arrest over leaked papers alleging corruption -- MSNBC
Pope's butler arrested in leaks investigation -- Reuters
Pope's butler arrested in Vatican leaks scandal -- AFP

My Comment: Ahhhh .... should have figured it out .... it was the butler who did it.