Editorial note: If you have not yet read our mission statement above, please do so in order that you can put our blogs in context. 

Rome, 28 May 2012

The Pope’s personal butler Paolo Gabriele is alleged to have been caught with his fingers in the till. For the past three days he has been languishing in a tiny cell while subjected to relentless questioning by the Gendarmeria, the Vatican police.

Official comment by the Vatican has been characteristically scarce.

As a result, leaks have abounded and the Italian media have given the story saturation coverage. The alleged charge against Gabriele is that he sold confidential Vatican documents for filthy lucre.

The Gendarmeria has raided Gabriele’s home and taken away four crates of material.

The search is on now for Gabriele’s accomplices who are thought to be, like himself, Vatican employees. According to the Italian presss, a young married woman is said to be involved.

It has also been suggested that Gabriele may have  “protected” by a highly placed Vatican official.

On the other hand, he may be completely innocent as he has not been formally charged, let alone convicted of any offence.

Alongside the Gabriele story, the Italian media have also suggested that accounts are currently being settled between two cardinals involved in the management of the Papal government: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, and Cardinal Attilio Nicora, President of the Vatican’s Financial Information Authority.

Only last week Ettore Gotti Tedeschi,  President of the Vatican’s Institute of Religious Works, a financial body, had to resign after the Board of the Vatican Bank passed a vote of no-confidence him.

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 You might perhaps care to view some of our earlier posts.  For instance:

 1. Why? or How? That is the question (3 Jan 2012)

2. Das Vierte Reich/The Fourth Reich (6 Feb 2012)

3. The shoddiest possible goods at the highest possible prices (2 Feb 2012)

4. Where’s the beef? Ontology and tinned meat (31 Jan 2012)

5. What would Gandhi have said? (30 Jan 2012)

Every so often we shall change this sample of previously published posts.

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