 |
| (Angelo van Schaik) |
RNW is in
the process of shifting its focus to promoting freedom of speech in regions
where it is under threat. So we’re publishing a series of portraits of men and
women around the world who have stood up for the right to speak their minds.
Today, Italian investigative journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi.
Angelo van
Schaaik in Rome
“I am
afraid neither of the law nor of death,” insists journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi. He
is the author of 'Sua Santità. Le carte segrete di Benedetto XVI' (His
Holiness. The Secret Papers of Benedict XIVth), in which he publishes
confidential Vatican documents, including letters from the pope. “I was
frightened,” he says. “For months, I carried the documents I had on a USB stick
hung around my neck. I was always looking over my shoulder. The Vatican’s
agents are active everywhere in Italy.
Instant
impact
'Sua
Santità' had a huge impact on Italy when it was published in May of this year.
This is a country where freedom of speech is constantly under threat. Every
time a journalist makes embarrassing revelations about a politician, parliament
leaps into action and attempts to introduce measures further restricting the
media.
It’s a
country where a book was withdrawn from sale because it revealed historic facts
damaging to the powerful Roman Catholic church. Authors Rita Monaldi and
Francesco Sorti also claim that the Vatican put pressure on their publisher
Mondadori not to renew their contracts in 2002 because they too made use of
historic facts embarrassing for the church. Mondadori is owned by former
Italian Prime Minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi.
“Immoral
behaviour”
To publish
the Pope’s personal papers in such a country is almost an act of resistance.
Public curiosity about the secret workings of the Vatican has sent sales of
'Sua Santità' soaring. It’s topped Italy’s bestseller lists for weeks.
But
criticism of the book has also been fierce. A senior Vatican official,
Monsignor Giovanni Angelo Becciu, accused Nuzzi of “immoral behaviour of
unprecedented seriousness”. Senator Maurizio Gasparri of Berlusconi’s PDL party
has called for Nuzzi’s prosecution: “Correspondence is private; this is a
violation of the constitution. He has committed a crime and must face the
consequences.” The senator is campaigning for the Italian judiciary to take
action, so far without success.
Intimidation
Nuzzi has
defended himself vigorously, insisting that the publication of documents
obtained from ‘Maria’, his anonymous source within the Vatican, was not against
the law. His publisher Chiarelettre, which is famous – or notorious – for
releasing controversial books, said in a statement that Gianluigi Nuzzi is
doing nothing more than his job. And that: “these attacks on an author and
publisher are simply attempts to discredit him”. The publisher goes on to
express outrage at political attempts to influence the judiciary to take
action. “This is an attempt to intimidate and prevent other journalists from
making unwelcome revelations.
Justice
costs
Nuzzi was
also threatened with legal action by the Vatican in January of this year. This
followed his publication of letters to Pope Benedict from Monsignor Maria
Vigano, the Number 2 in the Vatican hierarchy. In the letters, Vigano pleaded
with the Pope not to be transferred after he had sounded the alarm about
widespread corruption in the Vatican’s accounting department.
This threat
of legal action is a tactic also used by Berlusconi during his years in office.
He would claim huge sums in damages from papers that threatened to make
unwelcome revelations about his or his companies’ conduct. Even though these
cases had no chance of succeeding, the prohibitive cost of fighting them in
court meant papers would refrain from publication. Italy’s wealthy have a habit
of winning their lawsuits…
The
publisher Chiarelettere also poses the rhetorical question: Should a journalist
who discovers that the Minster of Economic Affairs has had secret talks with
the head of the Vatican’s Bank to prevent the church being charged property
tax, keep that information to himself?”
Butler
“The butler
did it”. That was the Vatican’s speedily reached conclusion after Nuzzi laid
bare the intrigues and power struggles within the walls of the Holy City with
the help of an inside informant. The Pope’s personal servant Paolo Gabriele was
arrested and taken into custody by the Vatican’s own secretive judicial system,
which is independent of the Italian state judiciary.
The storm
around the scandal, which quickly became known as Vatileaks, seemed to die down
after his arrest. But it appears he may just be a small fish in this murky sea.
There are believed to be some 20 other whistleblowers secretly leaking
information about the Vatican state. A special commission has been set up with
the aim of keeping any further Vatileaks under control. But that’s unlikely to
be enough to prevent journalists such as Gianluigi Nuzzi from publishing any
fresh documents they may receive from ‘Maria’.
 |
| FILE - In this June 22, 2012 file photo, Monsignor William Lynn walks to the Criminal Justice Center before a scheduled verdict reading, in Philadelphia. Lynn, the Roman Catholic monsignor at the center of a landmark case involving the sexual abuse of children by priests, will be sentenced on Tuesday, July 24, 2012. He faces 3-1/2 to seven years in prison for his felony child endangerment conviction. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) |
"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Based in Greece, Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.