Journalists Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi are being investigated in connection with a Vatican probe into alleged classified document leaks in a scandal dubbed Vatileaks 2, ANSA learned Wednesday.
They may face charges of "conspiracy to divulge classified documents and news",Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said later in a statement.
They authored the books Avarice and Merchants in the Temple, documenting alleged waste and mismanagement in the Vatican and lavish spending by clergymen.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said earlier in the day that Holy See have opened an investigation into leaked documents concerning the Vatican's finance and real estate management agency, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See (APSA).
"In recent days articles have appeared (in the media) referring in a partial and inaccurate way to contents of a confidential document, positing that APSA was used in the past for illicit financial activities," the Vatican said in a press release.
"The Vatican judicial authority has opened an investigation into the distribution of that document".
APSA is cooperating with the relevant authorities and is not being investigated, the press release added.
APSA held assets worth 998 million euros in 2013, including an investment portfolio worth over 475 million euros, according to figures contained in a new book on the Vatican's financial affairs to be published last week.
Unlike the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) - commonly known as the Vatican Bank - APSA's budget "is not part of the public domain", L'Espresso news magazine journalist Fittipaldi pointed out in his new book Avarice.
Fittipaldi claims APSA acts like a credit institution, and cites budget entries detailing loans to banks to the tune of 162.7 million euros, 24.5 million dollars, 8 million pounds, 4.5 million Swiss francs and 29.2 million yen.
The book also exposes alleged money wastage on consultancies for projects that never materialised at Bambin Gesu', a Rome pediatric hospital operating under the auspices of the national health system on an extraterritorial area administered by the Holy See.
Concerns were initially raised by auditors at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Avarice claims.
The auditors also reportedly pointed the finger at commercial activities that were allegedly "incoherent" with the original mission of the hospital, which was founded to treat poor children in Rome.
These include control of Clinical & Research Services srl and Xellbiogene srl, a biotechnology firm run together with Milan's Catholic University specialising in genetic research.
Founded in 2013, it was wound up two years later.
Other concerns were expressed over donations to the hospital and assets building up in accounts at the IOR and APSA.
In related news, a top Vatican court on November 4 placed Finnat Bank Euramerica SpA President Gianpietro Nattino under investigation following a report by the Vatican Financial Information Authority (AIF).
The court requested the collaboration of Italy and Switzerland in the investigation into bank transactions and trades, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said.
Nattino was named in a Reuters news agency report on alleged money laundering, insider trading and market manipulation involving APSA.
The 33-page AIF report said APSA may have been used by people outside the Vatican, with the possible complicity of APSA staff.
AIF investigators found a portfolio of over two million euros allegedly connected to Nattino, the contents of which were moved to Switzerland just before new laws against money laundering were introduced in the Vatican.
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