No crime in Vatican during papal transition, says judge

Published: 2006-01-13

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Despite the massive influx of visitors to the Vatican during the period of papal transition in April 2005, for two weeks that month robbers and criminals stayed away, or at least decided to be on their best behavior. A Vatican judge reported that from the day of Pope John Paul II's death April 2 to his funeral April 8 and the first seven days of Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate, starting with his election April 19, the 108-acre Vatican City State was without crime. Nicola Picardi, promoter of justice for the Tribunal of Vatican City State, said no crimes were reported and no charges were brought to the Vatican's court during those two weeks in April, a fact he called extraordinary, considering "at least 6 million people" flooded the Vatican during this period of papal transition.

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