Pope Addresses Scandal Rocking Vatican for the First Time
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Franco Origlia/Getty Images(VATICAN CITY) — For the first time since his butler was arrested, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the scandal rocking the Vatican.
In his weekly general audience at St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, Pope Benedict mentioned the scandal, saying, “The events of recent days regarding the Vatican Curia and my collaborators have caused sadness in my heart.”
He also admonished the media, saying, “The information disseminated by the media have gone far beyond the facts, offering an image of the Holy See, which does not correspond to reality.”
Paolo Gabriele was arrested last Friday after Vatican officials found stolen documents in his possession. He has been accused of leaking documents to the press that indicate corruption and mismanagement inside the Vatican.
On Saturday, a Vatican spokesman told the press that they plan on charging Gabriele with aggravated theft.
Since the Vatican does not have a jail, Gabriele is currently being held in a tiny room in the Vatican police station that is usually used to house pickpockets. If he is convicted, he would serve out his sentence in an Italian prison.
Gabriele, 46, has been in the pope’s service since 2006. He lives inside the Vatican with his wife and three children.
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