Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Pope Francis has put the Vatican hierarchy on notice of sweeping changes as he prepares this week to study a secret report into skulduggery and intrigue within the Church's dysfunctional governing body

The Vatileaks scandal of last year, in which Benedict XVI's butler was caught stealing and leaking documents to thepress, revealed infighting, nepotism and alleged corruption within the Curia, governing body.

On Saturday, the Pope ruled that senior administrators in the Vatican bureaucracy will temporarily keep their posts while he studies what changes may be required.

Hopes for sweeping reforms of the Curia were bolstered by the language of an announcement that its members would "provisionally stay in their respective posts until it is decided otherwise".

"The Holy Father, wants, in fact, to give himself a certain amount of time for reflection, prayer and dialogue before any appointments or definitive confirmations," the Vatican said.

His predecessor, Benedict XVI, now the Pope Emeritus, commissioned three senior cardinals to investigate the Vatileaks affair amid suspicions that Paolo Gabriele, the butler, did not act alone in trying to expose what he called "evil and corruption" within the administration of the Holy See.