The Vatican has restricted media access to the trial
The Pope's former butler is due to be questioned in court, on the second day of his trial on charges of stealing confidential documents.
Paolo Gabriele, 46, has admitted to investigators that he leaked the files to expose "evil and corruption".He faces up to four years in prison if convicted of aggravated theft, but he could be pardoned by Pope Benedict XVI.
The trial was adjourned last week after Vatican judges refused to admit evidence gathered by cardinals.
Instead, the judges in the high-profile trial said they would rely only on evidence from the Vatican police and prosecutor. They seized 82 boxes of papers from Mr Gabriele's home.
'Vatileaks' scandal Mr Gabriele is expected to be questioned in court by the president of the Vatican City tribunal on Tuesday.
Among witnesses due to give evidence later is the Pope's private secretary, Georg Gaenswein, and one of the four German and Italian nuns who work in the 85-year-old pontiff's household.
Correspondents say their testimony could shed light on the very private world of the household.
Paolo Gabriele (right) is seen here in court
The chief judge said the court hoped to reach a verdict by the end of the week.
No TV cameras or recorders are being allowed inside the courtroom for the most high-profile case to be held in the Vatican since it was established as a sovereign state in 1929. Coverage of the trial is restricted to just eight journalists.
Mr Gabriele was identified as the source of leaked documents that were published in a book by an Italian journalist, Gianluigi Nuzzi, in May.
The documents included private correspondence between senior Vatican figures, and appeared to reveal bitter power struggles and corruption.
Correspondents say the revelations seem aimed primarily at discrediting the Vatican's powerful Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who has been in his post since 2006.
The Pope ordered cardinals to carry out an inquiry separate to the probe by Vatican police after the scandal broke. The results of their investigation have not been made public.
The court decided that his fellow defendant, Vatican computer technician Claudio Sciarpelletti, will be tried separately for aiding and abetting a crime. He had exerted his right to stay away from the hearing.
Mr Gabriele was the Pope's trusted servant for years and held the keys to the papal apartments.
The "Vatileaks" scandal has been one of the most difficult crises of Pope Benedict's seven-year papacy, correspondents say.
No comments:
Post a Comment