VATICAN CITY
GlobalPost

Agence France-Presse on Nov 11, 2015

The Vatican on Wednesday said its judicial authorities had launched a probe against two Italian journalists over confidential documents that were leaked to the media, revealing gross financial mismanagement at the heart of the secretive city-state.

Journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi are being investigated for possible complicity “in the offence of divulging confidential news and documents”, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

The reporters last week published two explosive books shedding an unflattering light on corruption, theft and uncontrolled spending at the Vatican, basing their claims on leaked classified documents.

As part of the investigation into the disclosures the Vatican last week arrested an Italian PR expert, Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui, and Spanish priest Angel Vallejo Balda for allegedly stealing and leaking the classified documents to the media.

Both served on a special commission set up by Pope Francis to advise…