The trial of Msgr Angel Vallejo Balda, Francesca Jaouqui, Nicola Maio and journalists Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigu Nuzzi started with a 70-minute initial hearing.

Recently published books by the two journalists outline instances of past questionable Vatican spending and financial practices.

The books cite leaked documents.

Fittipardi said he chose to participate in the trial as a sign of respect, but was incredulous at the Vatican's move against himself and Nuzzi.

He said all he did was publish news.

The journalist added that such activity is "protected and guaranteed" by the Italian Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Outside the trial, the International Association of Journalists Accredited at the Vatican issued a statement on Tuesday expressing "consternation and worry" that two journalists were being prosecuted for publishing leaked documents and essentially just doing their jobs.

The association stated " . . . the decision to try our two colleagues is not acceptable".

The Vatican is charging each of the five in the trial according to updates made to Vatican city-state law in July ,2013, alleging they each "illegally procured and successively revealed news and documents . . . ."

One of the four judges at the trial said that the issue was how the documents were obtained from inside the Vatican.

All five defendants are represented by lawyers belonging to the equivalent of a Vatican bar association.

The two journalists applied to be represented by their normal Italian lawyers, but this was denied by the Vatican court of appeals.

The full list of accusations and charges runs about 10 pages and has not been made public.

Nuzzi and Fittipardi said separately that they had received that list only on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The trial resumes on November 30.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

A statement from Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi, SJ, said the Vatican's police force had reported the activities of Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi to the city state's prosecutors.

This was over "their possible participation in the crime of dissemination of news and confidential documents".

Nuzzi and Fittipaldi published books last week which included documents relating to a 2013 commission (COSEA) set up by Pope Francis to overhaul Vatican finances.

There is an ongoing Vatican investigation into the leaks, with two individuals who sat on COSEA - Msgr Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda and Francesca Chaouqui - questioned over them.

In his statement, Fr Lombardi said the prosecutor had "acquired evidence indicating involvement in the offense by the two journalists who are now under investigation".

It continued: "They are being examined by the investigators as well as the positions of other persons, who by reasons associated with their office, cooperated in the acquisition of the confidential documents in question."

The leaks reveal embarrassing details of financial mismanagement which the Pope was faced with soon after his election.

Since that time, however, Francis has instituted sweeping reforms to the economic management of the Holy See.

Nuzzi and Fittipaldi are being investigated for a possible breach of Law n.IX of the Vatican's criminal code, a piece of legislation the Pope instituted in 2013.

It states: "Whoever illicitly obtains or reveals information or documents whose disclosure is forbidden, is punished with six months to two years imprisonment or with a fine ranging from €1,000 to €5,000".

"If the object of the offence consists of information or documents concerning the fundamental interests or the diplomatic relations of the Holy See or the State, the penalty shall be of four to eight years imprisonment.

"If the conduct referred to in the preceding paragraph is committed due to criminal negligence, the penalty shall be of six months to two years imprisonment."

Sources

• The Tablet
• Image: Crux Now