Cardinal: Satan, Media Trying to Break Vatican

Misguided reporters under the influence of Satan are trying to undermine the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope's No. 2 said today. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone also accused journalists of trying "to imitate Dan Brown," author of bestsellers like The Da Vinci Code, by reporting on the so-called "VatiLeaks" scandal, Reuters reports. Media reports on the leak of sensitive Vatican documents are "intentionally ignoring" the church's good deeds, Bertone said.

The Vatican is "an unequivocal reference point for countless people and institutions around the world," added Bertone, who ranks second to Pope Benedict in the Church pecking order. "This is why there is an attempt to destabilize it." As for reporters, "They continue to invent fairy tales and repeat legends. ... The truth is that there is an attempt to sow division that comes from the Devil." For now, Pope Benedict's butler is taking the heat in the leaks scandal, but one source says he's just a scapegoat. (More Vatican stories.)