Beyond the illuminated statuary of Bernini's colonnade, lights from the Pope's private offices glow long after dark descends on the Vatican, Vatican city on january 2010.An atmosphere of scandal shrouds the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican on May 2012. The pope's butler has been arrested in its embarrassing leaks scandal, adding a Hollywood twist to a sordid tale of power struggles, intrigue and corruption in the highest levels of Catholic Church governance. Vatican documents leaked to the press in recent months have undermined that effort, alleging corruption in Vatican finance as well as internal bickering over the Holy See's efforts to show more transparency in its financial operations. But perhaps most critically, the leaks have seemed aimed at one main goal: to discredit Pope Benedict XVI's No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state.The scandal took on even greater weight with the publication of 'His Holiness,' a book which reproduced confidential letters and memos to and from Benedict and his personal secretary. The Vatican has taken the leaks very seriously, with Benedict appointing a commission of cardinals to investigate. Vatican gendarmes as well as prosecutors are also investigating the sources of the leaks. Photo by Eric Vandeville/ABACAPRESS.COM # 321820_006