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| Vatican trial: verdict due for Pope Benedict's butler Gabriele | Vatican trial: verdict due for Pope Benedict's butler Gabriele |
| (8 days later) | |
| A three-judge Vatican tribunal will decide on Saturday whether the pope's former butler is guilty of aggravated theft for stealing the pontiff's private papers and leaking them to a journalist. | A three-judge Vatican tribunal will decide on Saturday whether the pope's former butler is guilty of aggravated theft for stealing the pontiff's private papers and leaking them to a journalist. |
| Paolo Gabriele denies the charge but has admitted photocopying private papal letters and betraying "the trust of the Holy Father, whom I love as a son would". | Paolo Gabriele denies the charge but has admitted photocopying private papal letters and betraying "the trust of the Holy Father, whom I love as a son would". |
| His flat was searched by police after it colleagues noted that letters published in bestselling book alleging corruption at the Vatican could only have been seen by someone with private access to the pontiff. | His flat was searched by police after it colleagues noted that letters published in bestselling book alleging corruption at the Vatican could only have been seen by someone with private access to the pontiff. |
| Court documents, trial testimony and the book by Gianluigi Nuzzi describe how Gabriele – a 46-year-old father of three described by court-ordered psychiatrists to be unstable, desperate for attention and with delusions of grandeur – came to consider himself inspired by the Holy Spirit to "expose the Vatican's dirty laundry" in order to save the church. | Court documents, trial testimony and the book by Gianluigi Nuzzi describe how Gabriele – a 46-year-old father of three described by court-ordered psychiatrists to be unstable, desperate for attention and with delusions of grandeur – came to consider himself inspired by the Holy Spirit to "expose the Vatican's dirty laundry" in order to save the church. |
| Gabriele told the court this week he became increasingly "scandalised" when, as he would serve Pope Benedict XVI his lunch, the pontiff would ask questions about issues he should have been informed about. That suggested to Gabriele that the pope was being intentionally kept in the dark by his advisers. | Gabriele told the court this week he became increasingly "scandalised" when, as he would serve Pope Benedict XVI his lunch, the pontiff would ask questions about issues he should have been informed about. That suggested to Gabriele that the pope was being intentionally kept in the dark by his advisers. |
| "I had a unique and privileged occasion to mature the conviction that it's easy to manipulate someone with decision-making power," Gabriele said of the pope. "With the help of others like Nuzzi, I thought I could help things be seen more clearly," he told prosecutors. | "I had a unique and privileged occasion to mature the conviction that it's easy to manipulate someone with decision-making power," Gabriele said of the pope. "With the help of others like Nuzzi, I thought I could help things be seen more clearly," he told prosecutors. |
| Gabriele told Nuzzi that he started copying documents sporadically soon after Joseph Ratzinger became pope in 2005, and then in earnest in 2010 and 2011, when a senior Vatican administrator complained about a smear campaign against him for having uncovered corruption and waste in running the city state. | Gabriele told Nuzzi that he started copying documents sporadically soon after Joseph Ratzinger became pope in 2005, and then in earnest in 2010 and 2011, when a senior Vatican administrator complained about a smear campaign against him for having uncovered corruption and waste in running the city state. |
| In his testimony, the former butler said he would copy the letters during his 7am to 2.30pm shift, while Monsignor Georg Gänswein and the other papal secretary, Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, were at their desks facing his. | In his testimony, the former butler said he would copy the letters during his 7am to 2.30pm shift, while Monsignor Georg Gänswein and the other papal secretary, Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, were at their desks facing his. |
| "The photocopier was in the corner, on the opposite side of the office," Gabriele told the court as his lawyer handed out a floor-plan of the shared space. "I did it while I was in the office, since I was free to move around and didn't have any wicked aims. I did it calmly, even in the presence of others." | "The photocopier was in the corner, on the opposite side of the office," Gabriele told the court as his lawyer handed out a floor-plan of the shared space. "I did it while I was in the office, since I was free to move around and didn't have any wicked aims. I did it calmly, even in the presence of others." |
| Gabriele said he would also discuss Vatican problems with any number of trusted acquaintances he would run into on his walk home from the palace. On foot, the journey should take three to four minutes, he said, but sometimes he did not get home until 4pm because he would be stopped by so many highly placed people, including cardinals and monsignors. | Gabriele said he would also discuss Vatican problems with any number of trusted acquaintances he would run into on his walk home from the palace. On foot, the journey should take three to four minutes, he said, but sometimes he did not get home until 4pm because he would be stopped by so many highly placed people, including cardinals and monsignors. |
| But in his testimony this week, Gabriele said had no accomplices, recanting statements to prosecutors that his plot had been "suggested" to him. | But in his testimony this week, Gabriele said had no accomplices, recanting statements to prosecutors that his plot had been "suggested" to him. |
| Once home in the Vatican City flat he shared with his wife and children, Gabriele would file away the papers, "hidden" – police would later say – between hundreds of thousands of pages of internet research on Freemasonry, secret service units, Christianity, Buddhism and yoga. | Once home in the Vatican City flat he shared with his wife and children, Gabriele would file away the papers, "hidden" – police would later say – between hundreds of thousands of pages of internet research on Freemasonry, secret service units, Christianity, Buddhism and yoga. |
| He filled a floor-to-ceiling armoire with the documents in the study near his children's' PlayStation, while a dining-room cabinet was used to store the remaining data. | He filled a floor-to-ceiling armoire with the documents in the study near his children's' PlayStation, while a dining-room cabinet was used to store the remaining data. |
| "'See how much I like to read and study?'" Vatican policeman Stefano De Santis quoted Gabriele as telling the four officers who searched his home on 23 May, the day Gabriele was taken into custody. | "'See how much I like to read and study?'" Vatican policeman Stefano De Santis quoted Gabriele as telling the four officers who searched his home on 23 May, the day Gabriele was taken into custody. |
| It took 82 boxes to remove all the documents they found, though detectives said only 1,000 pages were pertinent to the investigation. Police and Gänswein have said, contrary to the butler's claims, they also contained original documents. Several bore the pope's handwriting, some with the word "destroy" written at the top in German, police told the court. | It took 82 boxes to remove all the documents they found, though detectives said only 1,000 pages were pertinent to the investigation. Police and Gänswein have said, contrary to the butler's claims, they also contained original documents. Several bore the pope's handwriting, some with the word "destroy" written at the top in German, police told the court. |
| Nuzzi has all but confirmed Gabriele was his main source, sending him a good luck tweet at the start of the trial and telling Associated Press on the eve of the first hearing that he hoped the testimony would "unveil the motives and convictions that compelled Paolo Gabriele to bring to light documents and events described in the book". | Nuzzi has all but confirmed Gabriele was his main source, sending him a good luck tweet at the start of the trial and telling Associated Press on the eve of the first hearing that he hoped the testimony would "unveil the motives and convictions that compelled Paolo Gabriele to bring to light documents and events described in the book". |
| Nuzzi wrote in his book, His Holiness, that security precautions with his source, code-named Maria, were more excessive than those used by mafia whistleblowers he had interviewed. | Nuzzi wrote in his book, His Holiness, that security precautions with his source, code-named Maria, were more excessive than those used by mafia whistleblowers he had interviewed. |
| He said in one meeting, Maria turned up empty handed. Nuzzi claimed his source took off his jacket and turned around to reveal there were 13 pages taped to his back. | He said in one meeting, Maria turned up empty handed. Nuzzi claimed his source took off his jacket and turned around to reveal there were 13 pages taped to his back. |
| If convicted, Gabriele could be jailed for four years, though a papal pardon is widely expected. | If convicted, Gabriele could be jailed for four years, though a papal pardon is widely expected. |
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