Sandro Magister had a good article on this. He said it was basically that the Italians wanted to show their strength, since the American cardinals really weren’t leaking anything. They were doing what Americans do, which was explaining the process, trying to create a climate of openness, and saying everything they were going to say in public. Nothing was “leaked” and it was mostly just a way of this group trying to reassure the public about the stability and honesty of the proceedings.
However, he said that the Italian cardinals (not all, but mostly the anti-Ratzinger wing, of which the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Sodano, is unfortunately a member) are not coming out publicly but are talking privately with the Italian press, which of course really is “leaking,” and are hoping that the press will run out and give their version as the only one.
That, of course, is exactly what’s happening, with Scherer already having been annointed by them as the next Pope. He’s Brazilian, but is perceived as Italian-friendly, has spent most of his career in Italy, and is a weak manager and a “progressive.” The liberal Italians, who are unfortunately all in the powerful curial old guard, don’t feel they have enough clout to get one of them elected, so they are presenting Scherer as a “Third World” candidate (what a joke!) who is at the same time most like them. And they are doing this through leaks to the press.
That said, I can’t believe Sodano’s move against the Americans won them many friends.