VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

by John L. Allen Jr. | Feb. 23, 2013

On Thursday, a major Italian newspaper carried a sensation report alleging that a secret Vatican document commissioned in the wake of last year’s leaks scandal had identified a shadowy “gay lobby” within the institution, suggesting that its influence might have been in the background of Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign.

In the immediate wake of the report, Vatican spokespersons basically said “no comment,” stressing that they couldn’t confirm or deny the contents of a report that was supposed to be eyes-only for Benedict XVI.

Today, however, the Vatican’s Secretariat of State lashed out in general terms against media coverage in the run-up to the conclave that it described as “unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories, that cause serious damage to persons and institutions.”

The complete text of today’s statement, issued in both Italian…