Msgr Becciu also defended the reputation of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, saying it was wrong to depict it as a hotbed of “plots and careerism”.
The investigation will draw on an inquiry already opened by the Vatican’s own police force, the Gendarmerie, into how the leaks happened.
The Pope also decided to launch a special commission into the affair, composed of cardinals whom he had chosen personally, in order to re-establish “trust” within the Holy See.
It is rare for the Vatican to launch criminal investigations. One of the best known was set up after a young member of the Swiss Guard gunned down the corps’ commander and wife before turning the pistol on himself.
Questions still linger over the 1998 scandal and the mother of Cedric Tornay, the young guardsman and alleged assassin, has called for the case to be fully reinvestigated.
The Pope, who turns 85 next month, is meanwhile preparing for an official trip to Mexico and Cuba.
The six-day visit, which starts on Friday, will take him first to Mexico and then to the Cuban capital, Havana, and the city of Santiago.
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