Vatican’s head spokesman, deputy resigns; Press office under Francis empty shell

Vatican head spokesman Greg Burke and his deputy Paloma Garcia Ovejero resigned Monday. Official announcement didn’t provide any reason to their move. The two were responsible figures for day-to-day dealings with the media.

Vatican is currently dealing with criticism over slow responses to sexual abuse crisis and resignations of the two spokespersons would magnify the uncertainty. For about a year Pope Francis overhauled much of the sprawling communications office of the Vatican and this includes publishing house, radio service and newspaper.

However, someone need to fill up the new job to the earliest as a key global summit addressing abuse issue within the church is nearing.

Burke tweeted that his resignation would be effective from January 1.

He wrote, “At this time of transition in Vatican communications, we think it’s best the Holy Father is completely free to assemble a new team.”

Both the spokespersons were popular among journalists covering the Holy See.

With the resignation some are saying press office has lost some of its standing.

Villanova University professor of theology, Massimo Faggioli, said this summer Vatican was slow in releasing information about bombshell allegations of a former Vatican ambassador and investigation into resigned cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

He added, “if an institution is totally silent for days or weeks, this is not good… This last summer was particularly telling”

He alleged press office under Francis was an empty shell.