The Black Vault

[En-Lugal]

Pope's butler convicted in leaks, given 18 months

By NICOLE WINFIELD | Associated Press – 2 hrs 23 mins ago

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The pope's butler was convicted Saturday of stealing the pontiff's private documents and leaking them to a journalist in the gravest Vatican security breach in recent memory. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but the Vatican said a papal pardon was likely.

Judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre read the verdict aloud two hours after the three-judge Vatican panel began deliberating Paolo Gabriele's fate. Gabriele stood impassively as it was read out in the tiny wood-paneled tribunal tucked behind St. Peter's Basilica.

The sentence was reduced in half to 18 months from three years because of a series of mitigating circumstances, including that Gabriele had no previous record, had acknowledged that he had betrayed the pope and was convinced, "albeit erroneously" that he was doing the right thing, Dalla Torre said.

For now, he is serving his sentence under house arrest.

Source

Will the Pope turn the other cheek? That remains to be seen as he's currently still in deliberation. I'm a bit disturbed that the Vatican actually has the ability to detain anyone though.

[greeney2]

The Butler did it in the Conservatory with the lead pipe!

All kiding aside, the butler has a duty serving the Pope, to not betray what may come before his eyes, if in fact he was not looking on the desk to find something, which I think is the case. It was no accidental find. When does someone do more harm than good, leaking sensitive things, that he has no idea, how it is going to be handled. Its like the janitor passing on a top secret military secret, or leaking the defence of a lawyer defending someone, finding something on a open desk.

I have no sympathy for him, or the likes of Assange, who is not more than the same espionage thief this Butler is.

[at1with0]

Will the pope turn the other cheek?