Pope Benedict 'feels betrayed, hurt' by butler's theft of secret Vatican documents

Vatican City, May 30 (ANI): Pope Benedict XVI feels betrayed by his butler who was recently arrested for illegal possession of secret documents, a Vatican official has said.

"The pope is a witness to a case which touches him closely. It is a trial for him. He is suffering but also desires to understand, shed light on the matter, and discover the truth," Pope's spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

"He is particularly hurt with regard to one person, Paolo Gabriele, who he was close to, who he knew, loved and respected," Lombardi said in reference to Benedict's butler, Paolo Gabriele.

Gabriele, 46, was suspected of leaking highly sensitive documents addressed to Benedict XVI, which have lifted the lid on alleged corruption and nepotism at the Holy See, the Telegraph reports.

According to the paper, Italian media have speculated that the leaks could be a part of a power-struggle within the Vatican that aims to replace the Church's powerful number two, Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, and maybe even the pope himself.

The documents, which splashed in the national media and published in a book, highlighted many Vatican secrets, including the Church's tax problems, child sex scandals and negotiations with hardline traditionalist rebels. (ANI)

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