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Subscribe to RSSPope Benedict's butler, Paolo Gabriele, has been arrested for stealing confidential documents and leaking papal secrets. The Vatican says this is "the beginning of a large investigation." NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI broke his silence Wednesday over the leaked documents scandal that has convulsed the Vatican, saying he was saddened by the betrayal but grateful to those aides who work faithfully and in silence to help him do his job.
Benedict made his first direct comments on the scandal in off-the-cuff remarks at the end of his weekly general audience. He lashed out at some of the media reports about the scandal, saying the "exaggerated" and "gratuitous" rumors had offered a false image of the Holy See.
The Italian media have been in a frenzy ever since the pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested last week after Vatican investigators discovered papal documents in his Vatican City apartment. He remains in detention and has pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Rumors have been flying in the Italian press about possible cardinals implicated in the probe, pending resignations and details of the investigation that even Gabriele's lawyers say they haven't heard. The Vatican spokesman has spent much of his daily briefings in recent days shooting down the various reports.
The scandal represents one of the greatest breaches of trust and security for the Holy See in recent memory given that a significant number of documents from the pope's own desk were leaked to an investigative journalist. The Vatican has denounced the leaks as criminal and immoral and has opened a three-pronged investigation to get to the bottom of who was responsible.
'Spirit of sacrifice'
"The events of recent days about the Curia and my collaborators have brought sadness in my heart," Benedict said at the end of his audience. But he added: "I want to renew my trust in and encouragement of my closest collaborators and all those who every day, with loyalty and a spirit of sacrifice and in silence, help me fulfill my ministry."
Few people think Gabriele worked alone, and his promise to cooperate with the investigation has fueled speculation that other might be arrested soon.
The motivations for the leaks remain unclear: Some commentators say they appear designed to discredit Benedict's No. 2, the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Others say they're aimed at undermining the Vatican's efforts to become more financially transparent. Still others say they aim to show the 85-year-old Benedict's weakness in running the church.
Gabriele is an employee of the Holy See, a citizen and resident of the Vatican city state. He is being held by Vatican police who have accused him of stealing the pope's personal papers.
The scandal broke in January when Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi revealed letters from a former top Vatican administrator who begged the pope not to transfer him for having exposed alleged corruption that cost the Holy See millions of euros (dollars) in higher contract prices. The prelate, Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano, is now the Vatican's U.S. ambassador.
Documents leaked to journalists over several months allege corruption in the Church's vast financial dealings with Italian business including infrastructure contracts awarded at inflated prices.
In one example, the Vatican was said to have paid $550,000 for a traditional nativity scene in St Peter's Square, thought to be at least double its real value.
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As a former catholic, I am deriving perverse pleasure from watching them emplode. It's great fun to see them finally exposed as the sanctimonious, frauds they are. I have no sympathy. I hope they "Go out of business" (which is a more appropriate description than it might appear on the surface). Religion is big business.
Hi I am the Vatican, I am going to keep all historical documents and records secrete particularly those that prove modern Christian beliefs to be false. My policy is that you should never ask any questions and if you do you will be chastised, or kicked out. I will conduct all my business in a shroud of secrecy and if anyone of my "holy" employees reveal anything they will be jailed and I will be dearly pained by it. I appreciate all my workers who work in silence keeping their lips sealed. In return when they get busted for molestation or rape of children I will protect them, never siding with the victims. I wont even openly address the issue and act as if it doesn't exist. Now come and join my fold.
As a devout Roman Catholic, I derive some sadness, but am also somewhat glad too. The pope has been trying for a long time to get a grip on the problems and corruption in the halls of the Vatican (an enormous task!), but now has been undermined by the leaking of the documents that he was gathering to bring this about. It appears that Paolo the Butler was working for some inside who did not want the Holy Father to clean up, for they would lose their places once he did. Very, very sad. God bless Pope Benedict, and may the complete Truth come out in all this, leading to some needed reforms to help the Church run better.
All this silly talk about the adversities in the Vatican. Any organization has these difficulties. But, because it is directly Catholic, all the pyblications whether right or wrong enjoy the adverse publicity. All I need to say is please allow the Vatrican to sgtraighten its own difficulties without adverse/premature publicity.
This "vow of secrecy" is known as "omerta." Look it up...
"Snitches get stitches," said Pope Benedickt XXXVII.
there can only be a snitch if there is a crime, this vow of secrecy is also popular in jail and remarkably in jails as well as the catholic empire they are very fond of sodomy or rape. Oh the parallels
A secret is only required when truth is to be hidden. If nothing dishonorable is going on than why are there secrets to hide?
A secret can also be required when truth is trying to be found. If truth is leaked too soon, then those who are corrupt can hide, bend facts, and make up new lies that will suppress the truth even further. This is what has happened here, and that is a shame.
interesting....it takes a week to comment how sad he is over someone talking about his personal business but i wonder how many years it will take for him to come out and express sadness over the pedophile problem in the church? THAT is what's REALLY sad here
You haven't been paying attention, have you? Pope Benedict has spoken out many times on the issue, exrpessing his sadness. He has also met with victims of abuse. And he defrocked the priest who abused me. I am pleased with Pope Benedict's progress on the matter.
He has, many times.
The Roman Catholic Church is the longest running hypocrisy and most morally corrupt institution in the history of the world. Those at the top are the worst. One can't be absolved from sin by entering a booth and confessing to another sinner. The Church's secrets condemn them. I hope some day someone will enter the Vatican's vaults to see exactly what cover-ups, crimes against humanity, and perverse violations of its own teachings have been perpetrated on its ignorant faithful for the past 2000 years.
The fact that the news media has referred to this person as "Deep Throat" originally really made me laugh. The Pope and Deep Throat? Might be worth an Academy Award.
whats the big surprise? anyone with a brain knows the church has been corrupted from the very beginning... :-/
He's sad about the "betrayal" but not about the corruption?
Oh no, he is sad on the corruption, too. The betrayal though will undermine any chance he had to clean up the corruption. What a sad outcome!
benedictineace - Ha, ha, good one!
Bene-you remind me of when Monsanto had a add&video next to the story on insecticides and bees. Who are you really?
Don't bother, I already know.
I love the rich history of the Catholic Church, but its infallibility doctrine and other claims as the "one true church" and its *recent* history of corruption over the past 500 years (including today's events) show me that it has irreparably lost its way.
The infallibility dogma (not doctrine) pertains to a matter of faith or morals that must be defined as such. This is done by ecumenical council (like Vatican II) or by the pope himself on the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption (so the papal infallibility has only beee done twice). It does pertain to matters of corruption, which are human matters.
DanB, Please try reading the cathechism - you will discover the beauty, depth, history, Scriptural basis, and truth behind the the teachings of the Church. You can get it on Amazon or locally. You can also read it online. As for sinful human behavior, it is a small percentage in society and part of human behavior: even Jesus had an apostle, Judas, who sinned against him. But, Jesus would've forgiven him, as he forgave Peter - who went on to do wonderful things. That is why we need the Lord and his holy Church, to stay the path and help us when we wander off. Heaven is our goal - it's a journey for all of us.
The Pope seems more concerned that the Vatican was caught than the acts themselves. Even Russia has "Glasnost" And who do they go after, "The Whistleblower". This is the real shame.
If only he were a whistleblower. But he is not. Paolo was a "gofer" between some corrupt officials in the Vatican, and he leaked in order to undermine the pope's gathering of documents that would have led to a clean-up in the Vatican. He is no whistleblower, and he is no hero.
Dear Benedictineace, all that you've been saying in your posts is true. But, we must acknowledge there is the possibility that he was a whistleblower as is sometimes needed in any organization/institution.
But, the real scandal is that this bit of gossipy non-news about a butler (lol) is all in the news instead of the great and historical 43 lawsuits filed by Catholic institutions, hospitals, social welfare agencies, colleges to protect Constitutionally mandated freedom of religion from government interference. A virtual media blackout and diversion with this silly story about a butler.
The butler saw illegal and imoral activities going on and he reported them. (As we all should do when we see someone doing these things) Now the person in charge (the pope) is saddened? He should be thanking the pope for doing the right thing. (unless, of course, the pope himself is involved with the activities) I am saddened by the actions of the Catholic church in being more concerned about their image than about routing out dishonest people. Same thing with the child molesters (posing as men of God). May God have mercy on their souls. Let's cover up all these things that may make us look bad. Pope, it is time to clean house. The people will have more respect for you if you just tell the truth. It's all the lying that they hate. What would Jesus do in your place? Are you Christians or not? You certainly do not appear to be a representative of God!
I mean he should be thanking the butler!
This bit of fluff - gossip - non-news about a butler (lol) serves merely as a diversion from the REAL news which is not being reported hardly at all. A virtual blackout about last weeks 43 LAWSUITS filed by Catholic hospitals, universities, social welfare agencies, etc. against the government's stomping on Constitutionally protected freedom of religion from government interference! In addition, other faith communities have also issued lawsuits, which are being taken care of pro bono by lawyers also wanting to uphold the Constitution. That is big news! (Not this silly stuff about something that isn't news: wow, politics in an office? Sho woulda thunk?)
The only thing the Pope is sad about is the cloak of secrecy that's gradually being removed from the scandalous operations in the Vatican.
Come on Benny!
Do you know what women did to me? I guess you wouldn't.
There IS sadness in my heart too. Sadness for a church, representing and preaching the life and word of Jesus, tell us it is OK to segregate gays and tell them they are sinners, and that becasue they are sinners, they will never be fully acceptied as individuals based upon word and action but rather by the fact they are gay. There is also sadness that women who want intimate relations but no children, or no more children, are told that birth control is immoral. It does not matter if someone does not want children, is not made to be a parent, can not afford children or more children, or can not raise them properly. Somewhere in the Bible, we are not quite sure where, Jesus said birth control is a sin. It also saddens my heart that so many children were molested by men of the cloth who were protected by the church by moving them around so that they could do it again, It saddens me the press had to make a big deal out of it because the church had it all under control, I mean, under the rug. It saddens me that the church forces a woman who is married to a wife beater, a child molester, an active alcoholic can not get a divorce because somewhere in the Bible, we are not quite sure where, oh yeah, what God has put together let no man put asunder, something like that, or a man cannot divorce a wife who is abusive or unloving. All this saddens me A HELL OF A LOT MORE THAN SOMEONE LEAKING ANOTHER STORY ABOUT ANOTHER SCANDAL IN THE CHURCH. Reminds me of the good old days, you know, when the church had total control, Remember that. The Middle Ages, The Dark Ages, The Crusades, The Inquisition. The scandals, The arranged marriages for power. Looks like the church is circuling the wagons, which means only one thing. A lot of stockpiling ammo and not much love.