The saying, “Truth is stranger than fiction,” aptly describes the recent “Vatileaks” scandal. Last week, a high-ranking Vatican priest and an Italian woman who works in public relations were arrested for leaking Vatican documents to two authors whose books are being released this week. Both of the alleged leakers worked on a commission that Pope Francis appointed to advise him on Vatican financial matters.
It is only natural to question whether this is a setback to the Pope’s determination to reform the Vatican finances; however, on Sunday, Francis condemned the leaks and stated clearly that this will not distract him from the work of reform that he has been commissioned to do.
The Church is a divine institution, founded by Christ himself, but she is also compromised of sinful human beings. This is not to excuse the damage that scandals cause; they do grave harm to the People of God. Scandals reveal the truth that each of is tainted by the effects of Original Sin and that all of us, even those who work for the Church, are not exempt from the temptation to do evil.
Should we be scandalized that two insiders leaked sensitive Vatican documents? Yes. Should we be shocked? No. The sad truth is that scandals have been part of the Church’s history since the beginning, the first being when Judas Iscariot (an “insider”) betrayed Jesus. This scandal can be a wake-up call to all of us to remain vigilant against the daily temptation to sin, and sometimes to sin gravely.
