Vatican Raps Murdoch Use of Papal ‘Column’

The Vatican expressed “astonishment” and disgust today that excerpts from the speeches and writings of Pope John Paul II are being presented in a new column syndicated by Rupert Murdoch’s organization as if they were articles written by the Pope for profit.

It said the excerpts were being presented in “a vulgarly impudent form.”

Msgr. Giulio Nicolini, deputy chief of the Vatican press office, issued a blistering written protest in response to reporters’ questions about the syndicated column. The first installment was published by many newspapers around the world last weekend.

The Vatican protest referred specifically to a column titled “On Apartheid” which it said appeared in “various organs of the world press.”

Portrait of Pope

A Madrid newspaper featured a portrait of the Pope and, at the bottom of the column, the byline Juan Pablo II, the Spanish version of John Paul’s name. There was also the copyright identification: The Times of London and News America Syndicate.

The style is typical of how columns written by professional syndicated writers are published.

“I can only express astonishment and reprobation,” Nicolini said.

“It is inadmissible that the name of the Holy Father should be used as a journalistic signature and involved in commercial operations.”

In a statement, he acknowledged that everybody has freedom of access to the published speeches and writings of the Pope.

“But the exercise of such freedom carries with it the obligation to give accurate citation of the sources,” he said, adding that the Murdoch syndicate was ignoring professional ethics.