IMAGE SOURCE: ( ABC )

BY ANTHONY MARTINEZ



Pope Benedict XVI is breaking his silence to comment on the document leak scandal surrounding his butler.
Fox News explains.

“The pope responding now for the first time to a massive scandal starting to rock the Vatican. … Although a major blow to the Catholic Church, a spokesman says the pope is personally taking that even harder. ”

According to Catholic News Service , the pope spoke out in his weekly address, saying...

“ … much of the media coverage of the leak of private letters and of the arrest … of his personal assistant has been exaggerated...”

The pope added the media coverage is, quote...

“...completely gratuitous, and has gone far beyond the facts, offering an image of the Holy See that does not correspond to reality.’”

Hurt feelings?
Or saving face?
A reporter for the BBC says this is full PR-patrol.

“It’s been very embarrassing for the Vatican to have these rather incriminating documents, in some ways, given to some journalists.”

So, what’s in those documents?
The Washington Post says it’s uncertain, but one thing’s for sure — controversy is brewing.

“Some commentators say they appear designed to discredit Benedict’s No. 2, the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Others say they’re aimed at undermining the Vatican’s efforts to become more financially transparent. Still others say they aim to show the 85-year-old Benedict’s weakness in running the church.”

Part of the pope’s job — keeping certain matters in-house.
But Catholic news analyst John Allen tells PBS there are things the papacy isn’t being open about.

“They’re seeing some of their most closely guarded secrets rolled out for public view, things like documents concerning Vatican finances, internal policy disputes, even the Pope’s personal correspondence letters.”

The pope’s butler faces trial in a closed Vatican court. The Church has since denied all rumors of power transition.