In June 2017, Vatican police arrested , a 48-year-old layman with close ties to the Roman Curia, and Alberto Spampinato , an Italian secret service agent. Their crime: stealing confidential Vatican documents—including a letter from Pope Benedict XVI to the Pope’s own secretary—and attempting to sell them for hundreds of thousands of euros.
Biner instead reported the matter to the Vatican’s Promoter of Justice (chief prosecutor). But days later, incriminating photos appeared in the inbox of three Italian journalists. Biner resigned “for personal reasons.” Hours after his resignation, , a 32-year-old Swiss Guard sergeant, was found dead in his barracks room—an apparent suicide. The Vatican press office called it “sudden illness,” but leaked forensic reports cited asphyxiation by hanging. gaybelamiscandalinthevatican2theswissguardpart
The Vatican dismissed Capobianco’s claims as “fantasy,” but in March 2020, the (Vatican’s anti-blackmail task force) was quietly expanded to include Swiss Guard psychological screening for “vulnerabilities related to sexual secrecy.” Part 6: Why This Matters – Geopolitical Blackmail The scandal isn’t merely salacious. The Vatican holds diplomatic relations with 183 countries, operates global financial networks (IOR – the Vatican Bank), and serves as a moral authority for 1.3 billion Catholics. If a foreign intelligence service—say, Russia, China, or even organized crime—possesses credible evidence of a senior cardinal engaging in paid sex with a Swiss Guard recruit, that official becomes a compromised asset. In June 2017, Vatican police arrested , a