Vatican leak inquiry: Confessor defends Pope’s butler

[meow2u3]

The voice of the elderly priest - who wished to remain anonymous - sounded broken from all the crying, as he spoke to Italian newspaper La Stampa, from his home in the Vatican. During the telephone interview he described what he knew about Benedict XVI’s 46 year old butler, Paolo Gabriele, husband and father of three, who was arrested after he was found in “illegal possession of confidential documents.” Like many in the Holy See, the monsignor is scared and still in shock after yesterday’s events.

“I have known Paolo for many years; - he confided – if the accusations against him prove to be true, there will be no one left to trust any more. I still remember when, some years back, he used to arrive at the Secretariat of State’s offices with his black apron, to clean the floors.”

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/the-vatican/detail/articolo/gabriele-vaticano-15397/

[rug]

1. He's treading cose to violating the seal of confession.

"Can. 983 §1. The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason."

[meow2u3]

2. That's true only if he disclosed the content of the confessions

In that case, it would be an act of sacrilege.

[rug]

3. I think it's tighter than that.

Although he's not saying anything bad about the butler, it's not clear whether he's giving his impression about him based on his confessions or on his acquaintance. He is not supposed to reveal "in any way" what goes on in Confession.

[meow2u3]

4. This case appears borderline

It all depends on whether or not Father spoke to Gabriele outside the confessional. If so, it's OK. If not, Father is in trouble.

[hedgehog]

5. For me, the phrase that jumps out is this one:

"Like many in the Holy See, the monsignor is scared "

Scared of what? At the place that prides itself as the center of Christianity, an old man is scared?

Jesus wept!