Vatican probes document leaks

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican has launched an internal criminal investigation into the leaks of confidential documents that alleged corruption and financial mismanagement and exposed power struggles among Holy See officials, a Vatican prelate said Saturday.

In addition, Pope Benedict XVI himself has set up a special commission to shed light on the so-called Vatileaks scandal because he was so distressed by the "disloyalty" shown by those who leaked the memos, Monsignor Angelo Becciu, undersecretary in the Vatican's Secretariat of State, told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.

The scandal -- and the rare threat to punish the perpetrators within the Vatican's own legal system of criminal and administrative sanctions -- has come at an exceedingly delicate time for the Vatican, which is seeking to win European approval for its efforts to ensure its finances are transparent and that its laws to fight money laundering and terror financing meet international norms.

Leaks of memos alleging corruption in the awarding of Vatican contracts, mismanagement in the Vatican's finances, infighting and disputes over the Vatican's new anti-money laundering efforts haven't helped the bid.

Just Friday, a team of inspectors from the Council of Europe wrapped up a three-day visit to the Holy See to review its compliance with norms required by the Financial Action Task Force, the Paris-based policymaking body that helps develop anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing legislation.

It was the second such visit, part of an evaluation process that will culminate in early July when the Vatican learns if it has complied with the task force's 49 recommendations.