VATICAN CITY — The head of the Vatican’s communications department resigned Wednesday after he mischaracterized a private letter from retired Pope Benedict XVI, then had a photo of it digitally manipulated and sent out to the media. But Francis kept Vigano on in the department in a lesser capacity, indicating that he doesn’t believe the problem was all that grave. The so-called “Lettergate” scandal erupted last week when Vigano read aloud part of a private letter from Benedict at a book launch for a Vatican-published, 11-volume set of books about Francis’ theology. He didn’t acknowledge that he had misrepresented Benedict’s letter or doctored the photo, saying only that he realized that his actions — despite his intentions — had created controversy and destabilized the communications reform. That omission left the impression that the 91-year-old retired pope had read the volume and fully endorsed it, when in fact he hadn’t.

Source: National Post March 21, 2018 11:29 UTC