Advertisement

Pope silent amid butler scandal

Pope Benedict XVI leads the holy mass of Pentecost Sunday in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on May 27, 2012. The day is regarded as the birth of the Roman Catholic Church, but the pope looked weary to some observers as the Vatican braced for a widening scandal after his butler was arrested on charges of stealing confidential papal documents. UPI/Stefano Spaziani
Pope Benedict XVI leads the holy mass of Pentecost Sunday in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on May 27, 2012. The day is regarded as the birth of the Roman Catholic Church, but the pope looked weary to some observers as the Vatican braced for a widening scandal after his butler was arrested on charges of stealing confidential papal documents. UPI/Stefano Spaziani | License Photo

VATICAN CITY, May 27 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict remained silent Sunday regarding the arrest of his personal butler, charged with stealing Vatican documents and leaking them to the media.

Papal investigation is ongoing into documents found in Paolo Gabriele's Vatican apartment, which he shared with his family. Investigators are working to determine how the documents reached the media. Gabriele, 46, remains in custody in a "secure room."

Advertisement

A Vatican source told the Financial Times more arrests likely will follow, as investigators do not believe Gabriele acted alone.

The massive leak, dubbed "Vatileaks," includes correspondence from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, papal nuncio to Washington, that alleges corruption and financial mismanagement within the city state.

Meanwhile, more light was shed on last week's dismissal of Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, head of the Vatican bank. A memorandum from a four-person "board of superintendence" was released to the media citing nine reasons for Tedeschi's termination, including "failure to carry out basic duties incumbent upon the president to perform" and "the dissemination of documents last known to be in the president's possession."

The Vatican bank is also under investigation by Italian authorities for suspected money laundering, but the board's memorandum made no mention of the investigation as it pertains to Tedeschi.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines