VATICAN CITY, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI may pardon his former butler, who has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing Vatican documents, a spokesman for the pope says.
The Rev. Father Federico Lombardi said Benedict was "very likely" to use his power to pardon Paolo Gabriele after the sentence was announced, ANSA news agency reported Monday.
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Gabriele was sentenced Saturday after being convicted Friday of stealing and copying Vatican documents containing allegations of corruption in the management of the church. He leaked the papers to an Italian journalist.
The butler said he leaked the documents because he thought the pope was being manipulated by some of his advisers.
