Now Francis falls victim to Vatileaks II?

The woman mentioned below – Francesca “Immaculate” Chaouqui – is quite a creature.  She played a substantial role in the original Vatileaks that helped bring down the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.  She was “rewarded” for her performance in the period circa 2009-13 with a substantial role in the Vatican Prefecture for Economic Affairs, the activities of which (in a predecessor form) also played a huge role in bringing down the pontificate of PBXVI.  There was substantial scandal when this self-promoting libertine and exceedingly progressive woman was promoted to this position by Pope Francis.  She apparently feels no compunction biting the hand that feeds, in now leaking numerous additional economic documents that form the basis for two soon to be forthcoming expose books on Vatican finances.  These books are oriented towards embarrassing and undermining the Church, furthering the flight of especially Italian souls.

God let’s our own sins be our punishment.  Admitting such an immoral soul into the very bosom of the Church apparently carries its own reward:

The Spanish Monsignor Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda [of Opus Dei] , 54, Secretary of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, and the Italian Francesca Immaculate Chaouqui, 33, are in custody in the Vatican. Arrests have been confirmed but the woman today has been released into freedom because she has assisted in the investigation. The investigation by the Gendarmerie and the judiciary at Oltretevere would have identified as the alleged “crows” behind the new flight of documents that are the basis of two new books that have not yet been published: “Avarice” by Espresso columnist Emiliano Fittipaldi, and “Via Crucis” by Mediaset journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi.

Both Vallejo Balda and Chaouqui were part – the first as secretary and the second as a member – of the study committee and advised the economic-administrative organization of the Holy See (COSEA), established in July 2013 to screen papers and accounts of all the ministries, and to suggest reforms to rationalize expenditure and better management overall.

It was just Vallejo, number two of the Prefecture who will disappear with the reform of the Curia, to propose Chaouqui to be introduced to the commission. Interestingly, in the weeks before the papal appointment, she had often been unable to avoid controversy: recall the tweet in which she spoke of a nonexistent “leukemia” suffered by Pope Benedict , and other messages still more controversial against the then Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone and the former Minister Tremonti. Chaouqui defended herself by saying she was the victim of false charges because of envy aroused by her new role and had denounced the intrusion of strangers in her twitter account.

Edit: They even organized a reception on the terrace of the Praefecture for Economic Affairs, where the Blessed Sacrament was served in plastic cups.

They were particularly venomous when Sandro Magister lost his press credentials.

Note that Pope Francis himself changed Vatican policy to criminalize these kinds of leaks. Will he jail the woman he shockingly promoted to such a position of influence?

When the wheels come off, it doesn’t happen gradually. It tends to be a sudden and violent event.

Have the wheels come off  Francis’ pontificate?  Is this a way for certain members of the Curia to keep from losing their jobs?

I suspect it will be some time before we find out.  I do think that opposition – from many quarters – is rapidly ramping up.