Vatican envoy quietly visited regional bishop one week after incident

A former diocesan secretary, who served the regional bishopric for fifteen years and retired in 2002, gave a single recorded interview in 2014 describing an unannounced visit that took place on the morning of 27 January 1996. The visitor was identifiable by uniform and credential as a senior envoy from outside the country. He was admitted without prior appointment on the bishop's standing instruction.

The envoy and the bishop met in the bishop's private office for approximately four hours. The witness was instructed to hold all calls and to admit no one. She was not present for the meeting and does not know what was discussed. She does know that the envoy arrived with a single locked case and departed with the same case still locked.

Following the meeting the bishop summoned his senior staff and instructed them to refrain from any public commentary on "recent events in the region" until further notice. The instruction was not lifted in the witness's remaining time at the diocese.

We cannot establish what was discussed. We cannot establish what was in the case. We cannot establish whether the envoy's institution maintained any continuing relationship with the diocese. The bishop has died. The envoy, as named in the witness's account, cannot be reliably located in any directory we have searched.