Pope gives his support to cardinal in ‘leak’ row
The butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested in May. He remains locked up in a Vatican police “safe room”.
The leaked documents allege corruption over the awarding of infrastructure projects and a poisonous power struggle between rival groups of cardinals – the princes of the Church.
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Hide AdThe Vatican yesterday released a letter from Benedict to Cardinal Bertone, his secretary of state or prime minister, in which he said: “I wish to express my profound appreciation for your discreet support and your enlightened counsel, which I have found of particular help in recent months.”
The Pope added: “Having noted with regret the unjust criticism raised against you, I want to renew the expression of my personal faith in you … which remains constant.”
The arrest of Gabriele was the climax of a terrible ten days for Benedict in May, during which the head of the Vatican bank was fired and a new book alleged cronyism and corruption in a Holy See riven by conflict between plotting cardinals.
Vatican chief spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said a trial would not take place before October, but Gabriele could be released into house arrest before then.