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Pope's Butler Formally Charged for Leaking Secret Vatican Documents to Press

The Pope's butler has been arrested and charged by Vatican officials for supposedly illegally acquiring and leaking secret Vatican documents to the press. Per the article:

Some of the documents that the butler, Paolo Gabriele, is suspected of leaking claim cronyism and corruption in Vatican contracts, in a scandal that has come to be known as VatiLeaks. A Vatican statement referred to Mr. Gabriele, 46, who until his arrest on Wednesday night had been serving the pope meals and helping him dress, as “the defendant.” It said that a preliminary inquiry had become a formal investigation, meaning that Mr. Gabriele had been formally charged, and that he had chosen two lawyers to defend him....The leaked documents included letters by an archbishop who was transferred to Washington after reporting what he saw as a web of corruption and cronyism, a memo that put a number of cardinals in a bad light and documents suggesting that there were internal conflicts about the Vatican Bank....Commentators in Italian newspapers said they doubted that Mr. Gabriele could have acted alone, and some speculated that he had been a pawn in an internal power struggle....If convicted, Mr. Gabriele could face a sentence of up to 30 years for illegal possession of documents of a head of state.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/world/europe/pope-benedicts-butle...

Tags: Jubinsky, Pope, Vatican

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on May 27, 2012 at 11:06am

There is cronyism and corruption in the catholic conspiracy church's upper levels? What? The Borgias would be shocked!

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on May 28, 2012 at 5:22am

The Pope doesn't appear to be turning the other cheek. I wonder if the butler would have been more tolerated had he instead been discovered to be a pedophile.

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on May 28, 2012 at 7:20am

So much for protecting the whistle-blowers at the Vatican! [as though we're surprised at this?!?]

Permalink Reply by Pat on May 28, 2012 at 7:55am

I guess this exonerates Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum. After all, the Vatican would never throw a "fall guy" under the bus to cover up a criminal conspiracy!

Permalink Reply by Aiden on May 29, 2012 at 7:38pm

Any idea what was in those documents? Did any of them actually get out?

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on May 30, 2012 at 9:51am

Some of the documents are supposed to have actually leaked. I suspect that the butler is going to be made an example of. It's too bad that they don't make examples of the pedophiles they discover in their ranks. We shall see whether the other cheek is turned regarding this matter.

Permalink Reply by Pat on May 30, 2012 at 10:56am

I suppose it depends on which cheek you're talking about. The altar boys' or the Pope's. The former? Yes. The latter? No.

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