It's Sunday

The Panorama weekly and The Repubblica daily newspapers reported that Benedict's decision to resign was triggered by [a] secret report compiled by three retired cardinals […] last year over a series of damaging leaks of confidential papal documents.

The report allegedly contained details of corruption and of blackmail attempts against gay Vatican clergymen, as well as favouritism based on gay relationships.

Both publications quoted a source with knowledge of the investigation as saying that the cardinals' conclusions "revolve around the sixth and seventh commandments," namely "Thou shall not commit adultery" and "Thou shall not steal."

  alJazeera

Yeah, there's something somewhere. Ratso didn't resign out of beneficence.

Last year, Benedict appointed the three retired cardinals to investigate, in parallel with a police inquiry, a scandal known as "Vatileaks", which led to the conviction and later pardoning of the pope's former butler Paolo Gabriele.

The secret report was to be for the pope's eyes only, but Italian media reported they will also share their conclusions with the cardinals who will elect the next pope, ahead of the pontiff's resignation next week.

And the Vatican goes into high damage control mode. Paolo Gabriele – did he have a conscience or did he have a grudge? Or just a desire for better pay? Anyway, here's to Paolo and a rare crack in the death star fortress.

There was a twist on Friday when Benedict replaced Monsignor Ettore Balestrero, a powerful behind-the-scenes figure in the Secretariat of State with a highly influential role in Vatican diplomacy and the Vatican bank's foreign relations.

The 47-year-old is being sent as Vatican envoy to Colombia - which could be seen as a demotion.

Lombardi said the suggestion that the pope had made the appointment to get Balestrero out of the Vatican was "absurd, totally without foundation".

Sure, sure.

...but hey, say what you want...you will anyway.