Butler admits betraying Pope
Man tells courtroom he leaked papal letters, but insists he is not guilty of aggravated theft
VATICAN CITY— Pope Benedict XVI’s one-time butler declared Tuesday he was innocent of a charge of aggravated theft of the Pope’s private correspondence, but acknowledged he photocopied the papers and said he feels guilty that he betrayed the trust of the pontiff he loved like a father.
Paolo Gabriele took the stand Tuesday in a Vatican courtroom to defend himself. Prosecutors say Gabriele stole papal letters and documents alleging power struggles and corruption inside the Vatican and passed them off to a journalist in one of the most damaging scandals of Benedict’s pontificate.
Gabriele faces four years in prison if he is found guilty, although most Vatican watchers expect he will receive a papal pardon if convicted.
Prosecutors have said Gabriele, 46, has confessed to leaking copies of the documents to Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, because he wanted to expose the “evil and corruption” in the church. They quoted him as saying in a June 5 interrogation that even though he knew taking the documents was wrong, he felt inspired by the Holy Spirit “to bring the church back on the right track.”
Judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre asked Gabriele on Tuesday if he stood by his confession. Gabriele said, “Yes.”
Asked by his attorney Cristiana Arru how he responded to the charge of aggravated theft, Gabriele said: “I declare myself innocent concerning the charge of aggravated theft. I feel guilty of having betrayed the trust of the Holy Father, whom I love as a son would.”
The trial opened during the weekend inside the Vatican’s courthouse tucked behind St. Peter’s Basilica.
In addition to Gabriele, the court heard from four witnesses, including the Pope’s private secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, who along with Gabriele was the closest assistant to the pontiff.
Gaenswein testified that he began having suspicions about Gabriele after he realized three documents that appeared in Nuzzi’s book could only have come from the office he shared with Gabriele and the Pope’s other private secretary.
The book, “His Holiness: Pope Benedict XVI’s private papers,” became a blockbuster when it was published May 20, detailing intrigue and scandals inside the Apostolic Palace. The leaked documents seemed primarily aimed at discrediting Benedict’s No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, often criticized for perceived shortcomings in running the Vatican.
The trial resumes Wednesday with police testimony.