VATICAN SECRETS: Pope Francis commission members arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential documents

Two new books containing Vatican scandals to be released

Two members of Pope Francis' commission to advise him on economic and bureaucratic reforms in the Vatican administration were arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential information to the media.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to a Vatican statement, Spanish priest Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, the number two at the Vatican's Prefecture for Economic Affairs and Francesca Chaouqui, an Italian laywoman and public relations expert were both arrested. However, Chaouqui was released days later after agreeing to cooperate with the investigation.

These new arrests are the first of the kind since the "Vatileaks" scandal when Paolo Gabriele, Pope Benedict's butler, was arrested for leaking confidential documents in 2012.

"The twin arrests came just days before two Italian authors were due to release books that their publishers say will reveal new evidence of past scandals in the Vatican," according to Reuters.

"Merchants in the Temple," will be released on Wednesday by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, and "Avarice," will be released the same day by Italian journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi.

The Vatican describes the books as the result of "the serious betrayal of the trust bestowed by the pope."