Update on the Vatileaks investigations:
Cardinals will report to the Pope next week,
and magistrate will wind up questioning of
Gabriele and other witnesses in two weeks
Translated from the Italian service of
July 12, 2012
The Vatileaks episode was once again the focus of the news briefing held this afternoon by Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, as the initial 50-day detention period ended for ex-papal valet Paolo Gabriele, accused of aggravated theft for making unauthorized copies of private documents from the Pope's desk.
[Vatican law allows the Vatican police to hold him another 50 days if necessary, and Fr. Lombardi said today he will probably be held for 2 more weeks.] Roberta Gisotti reports:
Benedict XVI will be meeting next week in Castel Gandolfo with the three cardinals he named to investigate Vatileaks - Cardinals Julian Herranz, Josef Tomko and Salvatore Di Giorgi.
"The commission presided by Cardinal Herranz expects to conclude its work of listening to 'witnesses' and preparing to present its first report this week, and it is expected they will meet with the Holy Father next week", Fr. Lombardi said. The Pope will draw his conclusions from the report.
Regarding the status of the proceedings in the Vatican tribunal, he said the investigating magistrate hopes to acquire more testimony in the next 10 days, after which the investigative phase will end, with the magistrate's decision on whether to proceed with trying Gabriele or. For this reason, his 'precautionary detention' has been extended beyond 50 days.
"Formal interrogation of Paolo Gabriele will be the last step and it is anticipated this will come in about 10 days," Lombardi said.
Fr. Lombardi anticipated the magistrate to present his decision at the beginning of August, and if he decided to proceed to trial, the earliest this could start is October.
He reassured newsmen that Gabriele is in good physical and psychological condition, according to information from his lawyer Carlo Fusco, who said that he is 'serene and finds comfort in prayer'.
He also said Gabriele remains the only person accused, even if other persons have been interrogated by the magistrate. He added that it has not been necessary to make any formal requests to the Italian government for permission to question any of the witnesses heard so far.
Fr. Lombardi also spoke about the meeting at Castel Gandolfo last night between the Holy Father and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. He said it once again demonstrated the 'harmony and friendship' between the two leaders.
He said the Pope hopes to complete work on Volume 3 of JESUS OF NAZARETH, but he is also finalizing his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Middle East, as well as working on the papal texts to be delivered during his visit to Lebanon in September.
He was asked about the most recent development affecting the Church in China, in which the newly-consecrated auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, Thaddeus Ma Daqin appears to be held under virtual house arrest in a seminary outside Shanghai by Chinese authorities, after Mons. Ma announced at his episcopal ordination on Saturday that he would give up his position in the Chinese Patriotic Association to devote his time fully to pastoral work.
"It is regrettable", Fr. Lombardi said, "that a legitimate ordination, proposed by the Pope and accepted by the Chinese authorities has resulted in the anomalous situation, in which the bishop is detained in the seminary, and no one has been able to contact him directly".