Bertone has come under attack because of financial questions and the discontent aroused among diplomats. Among the names of potential substitutes for the post of Secretary of State, is Cardinal Leonardo Sandri.
Behind the Vatican Walls is a cunning old fox, which is very close to the upper echelons of the Vatican and told me what is going on in the world’s smallest state.
It struck me as a plausible story so I will tell it to you now; bear in mind, however, that all that I was told may not be one hundred per cent true.
The objective of this series of revelations, pseudo-revelations, leaked news (which is mostly dated) and resentments, is to get rid of the Vatican Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, who will turn 78 next December, and to substitute him with someone else.
But with whom?
Well, a candidate may have already been picked out; two in fact; but this I will go into at another moment. There are a number of different forces and sentiments that seem to be converging on this operation.
Looking at the list of the figures that were described to me as the main characters of this anti-Bertonian environment, they could be defined as “diplomats of the Kabbalah”; obviously not all of the Pope’s diplomats.
But some of them, either actively or passively.
The first person to become implicated was Carlo Maria Viganò.
This occurred when the famous television programme case broke out following the letter he had addressed to the Pope (which was copied to Bertone).
His cool feelings towards the current Secretary of State are due to a number of factors.
Rumour has it that Bertone had dangled before him the prospect of a position in the Curia, a promise which he was then unable or unwilling to keep.
Rightly or wrongly, Viganò holds him responsible for what he sees as an exile. Viganò had been head of staff in the Secretariat of State for ten years.
In short, he knows everything about everyone.
His enemies speak of a chest of letters that was supposedly sent to America, which is allegedly being guarded jealously.
This could all be fantasy, but it still gives an idea of the climate in recent days.
It must not be forgotten that one of his predecessors as Secretary of the Governorate has gone to Spoleto and the other to Loreto, two cities in Italy; or the fact that he could become Nuncio to Washington, the Pope’s most important embassy in the world.
But word has it that Viganò wants to return to Rome and this is the reason why he has not given up his Vatican apartment.
His case gained the support of a host of former diplomats.
The person who told me the story, mentioned the former Prefect for Bishops Cardinal Re, the former Nuncio Cacciavillan, Cardinal Paolo Sardi, the former President of the Pontifical Academy Mullor and, in the background, even the former Secretary of State Angelo Sodano.
This group of Viganò sympathisers is more or less openly critical and is formed of the Pope’s current right hand men.
The group has one misfortune however: it chooses some individuals as collaborators and then witnesses a fast breakdown in relations.
This happened with the former Substitute of the Secretary of State, Fernando Filoni, who is not Prefect of Propaganda Fide.
And it seems the same thing is happening with the current Substitute, Mgr. Agostino Becciu who was chosen by Bertone himself. According to the group of “diplomats” the current Secretary of State, who is not a diplomat, has done his time.
They say they fear he want to appoint another non diplomat as the head of the Secretariat of State and so someone needs to explain to the Pope how wrong it would be to insist on going down this route.
This is the first and foremost reason for the attacks and criticisms against the leader. The second line of criticism is based on financial questions.
The clash over the financial body of Milan’s Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart) was very real; and so were the controversies over San Raffaele hospital in Milan, not to mention Bertone’s idea of creating a sort of mega medical-ecclesiastical complex by uniting the hospitals of San Raffaele in Milan, Gemelli in Rome, Gaslini in Genoa and the House for the Relief of the Suffering in Foggia, in Southern Italy.
However, these plans were eclipsed, it seems, by Benedict XVI’s reservations and prudence.
Then there is the question of transparency and the IOR. Gotti Tedeschi and Cardinal Nicora, head of the Vatican’s financial watchdog agency, are in favour of transparency.
Bertone is too, but is slightly more reserved way, given the unique nature of the IOR.
His adversaries however are taking advantage of this, to make it look as though he does not want financial transparency.
The fact is that the Vatican has never, in its recent past, witnessed a mass of documents as great as this being let out into the open.
Who is leaking these documents?
While in the case of Viganò’s letter to the Pope and Bertone, (denouncing the alleged scandals in the Governorate, which inquiries have not confirmed) the supposed “deep throat” could not have been any of these three individuals, be it in a direct or indirect manner, for others things are not quite as simple.
One document in particular is of interest: the internal note about Emanuela Orlandi, which was sent by the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi.
It seems that Emanuela Orlandi’s relatives had asked for a meeting with Benedict XVI. The Pope’s Secretary Fr. Georg was supposed to act as a delegate for the Pope at the meeting.
Fr. Lombardi’s note is supposed to be a response to a request for information on the “status questionis”.
It seems improbable that the document was passed on by Lobardi or Gaenswein to a third party.
It is possible, however, that it was delivered by the Secretariat of State, which would appear to be the possible leaking pipe that seems to be dripping out documents.
And maybe it is the place of the Substitute to take on the plumber’s task…Is it possible to imagine documents being leaked from the Secretariat of State when Benelli (Substitute of the Secretariat of State between 1967 and 1978) headed it?
This is the story we heard inside the Bronze Doors of the Vatican.
It is an accumulation of ancient discontents from one group, that of the diplomats, which feels neglected by the Pope and unloved by his right hand man. Some say he needs to be replaced.
But by whom?
One name has been going round: it is that of Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, an Argentine diplomat who is currently Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, a congregation of great prominence, financial too.
A great friend of Cardinal Angelo Sodano and other individuals linked to the power elite that surrounded John Paul II in the final years of his life.
His name has been circulated as the potential candidate to succeed Benedict XVI (ad multos annos!), but perhaps this is actually to set him on the path to take up this other, more plausible post.