Pope grants freedom to Spanish Monsignor

THE Pope has freed a Spanish Monsignor from prison after granting him ‘conditional freedom.’

Lucio Vallejo Baldo had served around half of his 18 month sentence issued by a Vatican court after being found guilty of leaking confidential documents by handing over 85 passwords to protected paperwork.

The Monsignor; the honorary form of address given to those in senior posts within the Roman Catholic church, admitted to leaking the documents, mainly about the Vatican’s finances, but claimed he was being emotionally blackmailed. He said he had been romantically involved with an Italian PR expert who was threatening to expose their relationship so as a result had not been fully aware of what he was doing. He has since been treated for depression and stress.

The two journalists went on to write blockbuster books based on the findings in the documents citing financial mismanagement and greed of bishops and cardinals wanting large properties. The pair were cleared after a judged ruled the Vatican could not prosecute them.

Vallejo will now be answerable to his local bishop in Astorga, Leon.