NEWS.VA has now added another section called “From the Pope” which lists papal letters and other missives by the month. For November, for example, it features the Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to His Holiness Anba Tawadros, Pope-elect of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. The new Coptic Pope was elected November 4.

ELECTION DAY 2012: AMERICA AWAITS

For the first time in 24 years I am in the United States on Election Day! I am in town for an event Friday night but came a few days early so that I could have the experience of being here on election day and of following election results without having to stay up all night as I’ve done on Italy in the past because of the time difference.

During my years in Italy I have always voted absentee ballot, and the state of California has been very prompt in getting the ballot and all necessary information to me about 6 weeks before election day, be it for the primary or general elections.

There have been long lines at polling stations and that is a good thing. I can remember the many times in Italy when reports would come in after the election with the final tally of the percentage of Americans who had gone to the pools and so many tines that percentage was abysmally lower than in many European countries. Europeans would ask me why that was – and I never had an answer. Perhaps because I could not believe it was apathy that kept people away.

I do not remember when I have prayed so hard for so long for an election. Priest friends in Italy told me they do not remember when so many people told them how hard they have been praying for this election. They said many people even asked them to say special prayers for our nation.

Today is surely, in my lifetime, the most important of any election in which I have participated. For me, the reasons are myriad: a failing economy, a downward trend in relations with many of our time-honored allies, and a sense (shared my many whom I know, especially in Europe) that America is turning inward on itself and concerned only with itself and not with its global partners.

But above all I am concerned about the moral direction of our beloved country.

Human life is not protected. Abortion was legalized decades ago and what is just as bad, on the third day of the current administration, the “Mexico City Policy” was repealed which meant that groups that perform and promote abortion again became eligible for U.S. foreign aid funds.

Marriage is not protected. The administration endorsed the repeal of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. DOMA was enacted in 1996 under President Bill Clinton.

Freedom of religion is under attack. This is a constitutionally-guaranteed right, yet our very own government, through the HHS (Health and Human Services) Mandate is attempting to take away the right of the Catholic Church (and other faiths) to practice the tenets of their faith. Under the HHS Mandate, most Catholic institutions will be required to pay for abortifacients, contraceptives and sterilization in their employees’ health insurance plans.

I pray for a better future. I pray that is what the Americans lined up at polling places throughout the nation will give us today.

VATICAN TECHNICIAN TESTIFIES IN VATILEAKS TRIAL

An update on the trial of Claudio Sciarpelletti, accused of complicity with former papal butler, Paolo Gabriele of stealing reserved papal and Vatican documents. (CNA/EWTN News): Despite his lawyer’s appeal to drop the case on the opening morning of hearings, a Vatican judge ruled that the trial for the second man accused in the so-called Vatileaks scandal will continue.

Claudio Sciarpelletti, the Vatican Secretariat of State’s computer programmer, is accused of aiding and abetting the Pope’s former butler, Paolo Gabriele, in stealing documents from Benedict XVI.

Senior Vatican communications officer Greg Burke said the charge is "more like an obstruction charge" related to his contradictory testimony during an investigation last May. Sciarpelletti’s trial began Nov. 5 and is expected to be shorter than Gabriele’s week-long series of court appearances. Gabriele was convicted in October of stealing the Pope’s private documents and leaking them to a journalist who wrote a best-selling book based on them. The book presented Vatican conspiracies, infighting, and corruption, such as the awarding of crony contracts that cost the Holy See millions of dollars. Gabriele is currently serving an 18-month sentence in a Vatican jail cell.

Gabriele did not receive any compensation for passing along the material, and said he was motivated by his love for the Pope, whom he believed was being manipulated.

Sciarpelletti, 48, was arrested for a short time in May after his lawyer said an anonymous tip led to the search of his desk. An envelope was found addressed to Gabriele containing copies of documents that had been leaked to the Italian media.

The computer technician is being represented by Gianluca Benedetti, who argued in court this morning that his client was in an “emotional state” when he gave confused and contradictory testimony to investigators, leading to the charges leveled against him.

Sciarpelletti was only briefly arrested, and news of his arrest was not even known until the indictment against Gabriele came down in August. Before that, the Vatican said there were no others involved in the Gabriele affair. Since the indictment against the butler was made public, it has maintained that Sciarpelletti’s role was “marginal.”

The prosecution’s case rests in part on allegations from an anonymous source that Gabriele and Sciarpelletti were in frequent contact, which could suggest cooperation in leaking Vatican documents.

At this morning's court appearance, the technician's lawyer argued that Gabriele did not even trust his client to upgrade his obsolete work computer.

Interest in the trial is centered on which witnesses called to testify will actually take the bench, as well as the contents of the envelope found in the former programmer’s desk.

Media access to the trial is limited, with no TV or audio recordings of the trial being allowed.

Witnesses were prepared to testify today, but the more substantive proceedings that will impact the outcome of the trial will begin on Nov. 10.

Write to Joan at: joansrome@ewtn.com

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