The pope’s ex-butler has been convicted of stealing the pontiff’s private documents and leaking them to a journalist, and has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Prosecutors had called for a three-year sentence but it was reduced because of “mitigating circumstances”.
The case is the biggest to go before the Vatican court in decades. It has been the subject of intense interest because a book based on the leaked papers revealed claims of corruption within the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said shortly after the verdict that the pope is “very likely” to pardon Gabriele, though he would not give any further details.
Defence lawyer Christina Arru had asked for the charge to be reduced, but described the sentence as “good” and “balanced”. Presiding judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre said he was reducing the three-year term requested by the prosecution to 18 months because of mitigating circumstances.
The book, His Holiness: Pope Benedict XVI’s Secret Papers, has convulsed the Vatican for months and prompted an unprecedented response, with the pope naming a commission of cardinals to investigate the origin of the leaks. The former butler was accused of stealing and copying the Pope’s documents and leaking them to an Italian journalist.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, head of the Holy See media office, told journalists at a briefing that Gabriele would remain under house arrest for the time being. Gabriele said he had stolen the documents hoping to expose corrupt dealings in the Vatican.
It’s not clear where he will serve his sentence, or if he will be sent back to jail. The verdict brings to an end a week-long trial that has revealed an embarrassing breach of security at the highest levels of the Vatican. On the last day of the trial, defence and prosecution lawyers gave their closing arguments, and Gabriele made a final appeal.
The case is the biggest to go before the Vatican court in decades. It has been the subject of intense interest because a book based on the leaked papers revealed claims of corruption within the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said shortly after the verdict that the pope is “very likely” to pardon Gabriele, though he would not give any further details.
Defence lawyer Christina Arru had asked for the charge to be reduced, but described the sentence as “good” and “balanced”. Presiding judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre said he was reducing the three-year term requested by the prosecution to 18 months because of mitigating circumstances.
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| The pope’s ex-butler has been convicted of stealing the pontiff’s private documents and leaking them to a journalist, and has been sentenced to 18 months in prison |
The book, His Holiness: Pope Benedict XVI’s Secret Papers, has convulsed the Vatican for months and prompted an unprecedented response, with the pope naming a commission of cardinals to investigate the origin of the leaks. The former butler was accused of stealing and copying the Pope’s documents and leaking them to an Italian journalist.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, head of the Holy See media office, told journalists at a briefing that Gabriele would remain under house arrest for the time being. Gabriele said he had stolen the documents hoping to expose corrupt dealings in the Vatican.
It’s not clear where he will serve his sentence, or if he will be sent back to jail. The verdict brings to an end a week-long trial that has revealed an embarrassing breach of security at the highest levels of the Vatican. On the last day of the trial, defence and prosecution lawyers gave their closing arguments, and Gabriele made a final appeal.
