Vatican prefect for the
secretariate for communication (SPC) Msgr Dario Edoardo Viganò
on Wednesday resigned over a flap about a letter from Pope
Eemeritus Benedict XVI praising successor Pope Francis, part of
which was initially omitted.
Viganò allegedly doctored the letter and described it
incorrectly in public on the occasion of the release of an
11-volume collection of Francis theological works.
In the letter, Benedict praised the "continuity" between his
pontificate and that of Francis, chiding "foolish prejudice"
against his successor.
Viganò initially omitted a part where Benedict criticised the
selection of German cleric Peter Huenermann as one of the
commentators on the collection.
Huenermann had been a critic of Benedict and his predecessor
John Paul II.
Until the appointment of a new prefect, the SPC will be
headed by its secretary, Msgr Lucio Adrián Ruiz, Vatican
spokesman Greg Burke said.
"There have been many polemics about my role recently,"
Viganò said in a statement.
The pope thanked him for his work and for agreeing to take a
"step backwards".
Viganò, 55, a Milanese born in Rio de Janeiro, will stay on
in the communications secretariate in a lower position, believed
to be third spot.
The affair, dubbed Lettergate, has proved to be a boomerang
for the pope and, far from placating his conservative critics,
has given them fresh fuel against him, Vatican watchers say.
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