Pope Benedict XVI has said public officials must offer a strong moral example, his first apparent comment on the sex scandal engulfing Italy’s PM.
Though Silvio Berlusconi’s name was not explicitly mentioned, the Pope’s words echo those of a senior Vatican official who said the issue was troubling.
Mr Berlusconi’s lawyers have said he will not attend questioning on charges that he paid for sex with a minor.
He has denied the allegations, which he insists are politically motivated.
“Society and public institutions must rediscover their soul, their moral and spiritual roots,” Pope Benedict said in front of an audience of police chiefs in the capital, Rome.
“The singular vocation that the city of Rome requires today of you, who are public officials, is to offer a good example of the positive and useful interaction between a healthy lay status and the Christian faith.”
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said earlier that those in authority should show a more “robust morality”.
Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano has also been outspoken on the matter, saying more “sobriety and responsibility” is needed from public figures in times of austerity.