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| Catholic church charges five over leaked documents | Catholic church charges five over leaked documents |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Vatican has charged five people over the leak of damaging documents about Pope Francis’s attempts to reform the Catholic church. | |
| Vatican deputy spokesman Ciro Benedettini confirmed on Saturday that summons are being served. A preliminary hearing has been set for 24 November, according to Italian media reports. | Vatican deputy spokesman Ciro Benedettini confirmed on Saturday that summons are being served. A preliminary hearing has been set for 24 November, according to Italian media reports. |
| Related: Pope Francis pledges to continue Vatican reforms following leaks | Related: Pope Francis pledges to continue Vatican reforms following leaks |
| “Vatican magistrates have charged five people at the end of an investigation into the stealing and publishing of confidential Holy See documents,” the Repubblica daily said. | “Vatican magistrates have charged five people at the end of an investigation into the stealing and publishing of confidential Holy See documents,” the Repubblica daily said. |
| Spanish priest Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda and Italian PR expert Francesca Chaouqui were arrested earlier this month on suspicion of stealing and leaking classified documents to the media. | Spanish priest Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda and Italian PR expert Francesca Chaouqui were arrested earlier this month on suspicion of stealing and leaking classified documents to the media. |
| Journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi were questioned after they published books containing leaked information. | Journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi were questioned after they published books containing leaked information. |
| Vallejo Balda and Chaouqui were both members of a special commission set up by Pope Francis to advise him on economic reform within the Vatican. The fifth person, Nicola Maio, also worked with the now defunct commission. | Vallejo Balda and Chaouqui were both members of a special commission set up by Pope Francis to advise him on economic reform within the Vatican. The fifth person, Nicola Maio, also worked with the now defunct commission. |
| Fittipaldi told Italy’s ANSA news agency that he was stunned by the Vatican’s move. | Fittipaldi told Italy’s ANSA news agency that he was stunned by the Vatican’s move. |
| “Maybe I’m naive but I believed they would investigate those I denounced for criminal activity, not the person that revealed the crimes,” he said. | “Maybe I’m naive but I believed they would investigate those I denounced for criminal activity, not the person that revealed the crimes,” he said. |
| The journalist said that under a law introduced in 2013 on the pope’s bidding, he and the others risk up to eight years in jail. | The journalist said that under a law introduced in 2013 on the pope’s bidding, he and the others risk up to eight years in jail. |
| Chaouqui was released shortly after her arrest, pledging to cooperate with the authorities, but Vallejo Balda is still in a Vatican jail. | Chaouqui was released shortly after her arrest, pledging to cooperate with the authorities, but Vallejo Balda is still in a Vatican jail. |
| Related: The truth of the Vatileaks scandal is that there is no scandal | Paul Vallely | Related: The truth of the Vatileaks scandal is that there is no scandal | Paul Vallely |
| The scandal, which has revealed uncontrolled spending by the Vatican as well as accusations of corruption and theft, has awoken painful memories of the last time employees aired the centuries-old institution’s dirty laundry in public. | |
| In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI’s butler engineered a series of leaks that revealed fierce infighting in the highest echelons of the church and allegations of serious fraud in the running of the city state. | In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI’s butler engineered a series of leaks that revealed fierce infighting in the highest echelons of the church and allegations of serious fraud in the running of the city state. |
| He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, before being pardoned by the pope but banished from the Vatican forever. | He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, before being pardoned by the pope but banished from the Vatican forever. |