The Pope Goes into Retirement Case Analysis
Will Harris PREL 440
I.
Introductory Statement A. The Roman Catholic Church has a problem. In the wake of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation, rumors and speculations about the Church are bound to run rampant throughout the media. The Church can use Public Relations in order to quell any media firestorms that may arise.
II.
Situation Analysis A. Pope Benedict XVI is no stranger to controversy. In the years as Pope, he has come under the scrutiny of many organizations due to various media gaffes, and has also been subject to criticism due to the number of sex scandals among priests and bishops. While he has handled the situations in the best interests of the Church, his situation was gravely degraded in the wake of the “Vatileaks” scandal. Paolo Gabriele, the Pope’s personal butler, was accused of leaking confidential documents and letters documents to the Italian press. Gabriele was arrested on May 23, 2012 after officials found the confidential documents in his apartment. On Oct. 6 he was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment within the Vatican, however, he was personally pardoned by Benedict XVI on Dec. 22. The scandal brought forth alleged corruption within the Vatican. Among these claims was the blackmailing of homosexual clergy, struggles for power, and financial discrepancies. The Pope responded to these allegations by calling them “exaggerated” and “gratuitous.” In March 2012, the Pope appointed cardinals to investigate the leaks. The cardinals composed a 300-‐page dossier of their findings and uncovered the sexual and blackmail scandal. The findings lead to the arrest of Gabriele. The dossier was locked away in the Pope’s personal safe to be handed down to his successor. The dossier, however, was delivered on Dec. 17, the day that the Pope’s decision to resign came to light. Many people thought, because of the media surrounding the scandal, that the Pope was somehow involved in the scandal. While the Pope cited that his health had deteriorated to the point where he no longer felt that he could effectively carry out his term, others still speculated that the Pope himself might have been involved in homosexuality. Matters only worsened for the Vatican when their spokesperson, Frederico