Pope's Butler to Stand Trial

The Pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, and a supposed accomplice are scheduled to stand trial some time after September 20 for allegedly stealing Vatican documents and leaking them to the press. The documents are supposed to demonstrate power struggles and corruption in the highest echelons of the Catholic Church. The butler is supposed to have confessed. Per the article:

Gabriele, the indictment alleges, said he stole the pope's papers because he felt the need to root out "evil and corruption in the church."....The butler told them, "Seeing evil and corruption everywhere in the church I was sure that a shock, even in the media, could have been a good way to bring the church back on the right track," according to the indictment....He told investigators he felt he was "in a way working undercover" for the Holy Spirit, according to the 35-page document that included the indictment released by the Vatican on Monday.

Besides the documents Gabriele is supposed to have wound up with a check for $123,000 payable to the Pope as well as other valuables. It will be interesting to see whether the Pope turns the other cheek by pardoning him (which the Pope would have the authority to do) should he be convicted.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pope-butler-ind...

Update: Popes Butler convicted - Sentenced to 18 months - Expected to be pardoned by Pope.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/paolo-gabriele-popes-butler-con...