VATICAN CITY (AP) -- A verdict in the case of the pope's butler accused of leaking papal documents

[No Elephants]

Maybe men who have taken a vow of poverty should not have a personal butler in the first place?

Oct 6, 1:52 AM EDT

Pope's butler awaits verdict in papal leaks trial

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- A verdict in the case of the pope's butler accused of leaking papal documents may help close one of the most damaging scandals of Pope Benedict XVI's papacy. But even after Paolo Gabriele's fate is decided by a Vatican tribunal Saturday, a core question will remain open: Did he really act alone in exposing the secrets of one of the most secretive institutions in the world?

Gabriele faces up to four years in prison if he's convicted of aggravated theft, accused of stealing the pope's private correspondence and passing it onto journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, whose book revealed the intrigue, petty infighting and allegations of corruption and homosexual liaisons that plague the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. It has been, in short, the gravest security breach of the papal entourage in recent memory.

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But in earlier statements to prosecutors, he named a half-dozen people who "suggested" he take action, among them Vatican cardinals and monsignors. He even identified one layman as the source of a segment of Nuzzi's book "His Holiness: Pope Benedict XVI's secret papers" detailing some questionable conflicts of interest of some Vatican police officers.

<snip>


The motive wasn't discussed during the trial, but Gabriele told prosecutors that he thought that exposing the "evil and corruption" that he saw around him would help put the church back on the right track. Some bore the pope's own handwriting, including with the word "destroy" written at the top in German, police told the court.


She pressed each of the six police officers on the stand about a purported gold nugget and check for $100,000 made out to the pope that were seized during the search. No one could say precisely where they were found. Gabriele testified he had never seen either before.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VATICAN_SCANDAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-10-06-01-44-46

Ffs. the man is the omnipotent ruler of his very own city-state, the Swiss guard, lives in a palace, has huge personal, household, p.r., etc. staffs, gets his food bought, prepared (and tasted) for him, gets his custom made garments, Prada shoes and worldwide luxury travel, all paid for by the Church and has no wife or kids to provide for.

Why the hell does he need a gold nugget or $100,000 checks made out to him personally?

I guess them vows of poverty ain't what they used to be.

[Enthusiast]

1. Throughout the world powerful institutions

are watching their credibility erode.

[No Elephants]

2. Yes, but to what end? This guy will probably go to jail while the Pope's ring will contnue to be

kissed worshipfully, if not idolatrously.

The more I learn, the more I want to know what the hell we can do about it, if anything.