(Photo: USA Today)
The Pope's Butler Paolo Gabriele Released From Jail, On House Arrest Til Trial
Pope Benedict XVI's butler was released from a Vatican cell and placed under house arrest on Saturday as he awaits a ruling on whether he should stand trial for leaking confidential papers.
Paolo Gabriele "will reside at home with his family in the Vatican", he said.
Gabriele's lawyer meanwhile said his client believed his was "an act of love" for the pope and a bid to make the Catholic Church "more alive". He stressed that Gabriele had acted alone and not as a part of any Vatican "plot".
Lombardi also said a committee of cardinals that has questioned 28 lay people and clergy in the the "Vatileaks" scandal had submitted a report to the pope but did not give further details, adding only that Gabriele remains the sole suspect.
Gabriele, 46, was arrested on May 23 after an Italian investigative journalist published hundreds of secret documents that revealed a series of fraud scandals in the Vatican and an atmosphere of intrigue between rival groups of cardinals.
The Vatican said after his arrest it had found documents and copying equipment in Gabriele's home in an investigation that has shocked the close-knit community of the Holy See where Gabriele was seen as a trusted aide to an aging pope.
Gabriele, known as Paoletto, has worked for the pope since 2006 and was one of a select few with access to the pope's private chambers. He was often seen by Benedict's side on foreign visits, assisting him and riding in the "popemobile".
His home is within the Vatican walls and Gabriele will be allowed to leave his house only to attend mass, Lombardi said, adding that he would be able to receive "spiritual and medical assistance" while awaiting the judge's ruling.
He is accused of "aggravated theft" and faces up to six years in prison.
Source from AP
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