The Pope's Whistle-Blowing Ex-Butler Is Going on Trial

Reuters
Alexander Abad-Santos Aug 13, 2012

Paolo Gabriele, better known as the Pope Benedict XVI's ex-butler, found out today that he might have to spend six years in jail for stealing and leaking confidential papal papers to the press. The Vatican announced that he will go on trial in October, despite the fact that the Vatican does not have its own official jail. (They've worked out a deal that would allow Gabriele to spend his jail time in a real Italian jail.) If you recall, leaked documents that alleged corruption, cronyism, suspicious payments and power dynamics within the Church began surfacing in January, and in May, as the AP reports, "a book by an Italian journalist was published containing dozens of documents from the pope's desk, including letters written to Benedict." Gabriele is charged with aggravated theft and with stealing a $123,380 (100,000 euro) check. The Vatican has promised to give him a public trial.

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