An interesting twist to the ‘Hackgate’ saga is to be found in the latest issue of the excellent UK based international Catholic weekly The Tablet which points out the Vatican connections of the besieged Murdoch Empire.
The magazine ‘s editor Catherine Pepinster( formerly of The Independent on Sunday) recalls her surprise and that of Tony Gallagher, editor of the Daily Telegraph last September when they spotted James Murdoch in the pew behind them during a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XV1 at Westminster Cathedral.
But perhaps it shouldn’t have been such a surprise. As Pepinster goes on to report, the Murdochs have a history of cultivating the Catholic Church. Rupert Murdoch (whose second wife was a Catholic, but he isn’t) gave a $10 million donation to help with the building of Los Angeles Catholic Cathedral which earned him a papal knighthood in 1998. Then when British Catholics (and taxpayers) struggled to help fund the Pope’s visit to the UK last autumn, James Murdoch was one of a group of benefactors who put money to the tune of at least £100,000 each into a papal fund.
Reflecting on what she now knows, Ms Pepinster suggests that the Catholic bishops should return the Murdoch money and find other way of replenishing the church coffers. The Catholic bishops said earlier this week that they accept the Murdoch money in good faith. Noone is suggesting, of course, that the Vatican has been hacked, let alone, God forbid, that James Murdoch is up for beatification.
The Murdoch family are very clever and know how to gain influence – here’s another example…