Pope's butler to be released soon

KATH.NET - Catholic News Service

The papal butler, Paolo Gabriele, arrested in May in the course of the Vatileaks affairs, will probably soon be released from custody.

Next week, the investigating magistrate will finish interogating Gabrielle, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters on Tuesday in the Vatican. He expects that the bulter would then leave his holding cell and be placed for now under a kind of house arrest. The lawyers have filed an application for Gabriele's release from prison.

Gabriele was arrested in late May, after the Vatican police seized in his apartment confidential documents belonging to the Pope. He is accused of "aggravated theft". If convicted he faces up to eight years in prison, a process which is, however, only opened if the investigating magistrate agrees that it is sufficiently justified. This decision is expected to be made, according to Lombardi, not before August.