Pope Francis receives Vatican whistle-blower
(ANSA) – Vatican City, October 10 – Pope Francis on Thursday received the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Carlo Maria Vigano’ for an audience at the Vatican.
Vigano’ was formerly the second-ranked administrator to the pope under Pope Benedict XVI, serving as secretary-general of the governatorate of Vatican City State from July 2009 to September 2011.
In letters to Benedict XVI and to Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, Vigano’ begged not to be transferred to the US for blowing the whistle on alleged corruption that may have cost the Vatican millions of euros in inflated procurement contracts.
Vigano’s correspondence was stolen and leaked to the press by Benedict XVI’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, giving rise to the Vatileaks scandal.
The Vatican court sentenced Gabriele to 18 months in prison for theft in October 2012. Pope Benedict XVI pardoned the former butler in December 2012.