The Vatican has denied reports in the Italian media that some prelates were involved in smuggling private Vatican documents to the press. Vatican spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, said that the papal commission set up to get to the bottom of the "Vatileaks" scandal had already interviewed some 23 individuals, including laypeople and clergy, as well as heads of various curia offices.
Fr Lombardi made his comments after the members of the papal commission, Cardinals Julian Herranz, Josef Tomko and Salvatore De Giorgi, met the Pope last Saturday to update him on their progress.
Vatican magistrates this week refused a request by the lawyers of Pope Benedict XVI's private butler, Paolo Gabriele, who was arrested a month ago on suspicion of leaking documents, that he be moved from a Vatican security room and put under house arrest.