Pope’s Former Butler Lands New Job

By Alessandro Speciale
Vatican Insider
January 17, 2013

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/vatileaks-papa-pope-el-papa-21429/

Paolo Gabriele

Pope Benedict XVI’s former butler, Paolo Gabriele, should shortly begin working in the Vatican children’s hospital, “Bambino Gesu”. The news was reported by a number of international news agencies after Italian daily “Il Messaggero” published an article about it.

After being sentenced to 18 months in prison for the “aggravated theft” of confidential documents, in the famous Vatileaks trial, “Paoletto” as he is known to those close to him, received the Pope’s pardon in time for Christmas. Since then, he has been living with his wife and three children in a small apartment given to them.

In a statement issued upon receipt of the papal pardon last 22 December, the Vatican Secretary of State stressed that “although he could not have his old job back and continue to live in the Vatican,” the Holy See would be granting Gabriele and his family “the possibility to resume their lives peacefully.”

“Although his family’s situation has been taken into account along with the fact that the Pope wished to intervene and grant him a pardon, he will be offered accommodation and a job but not in side the Holy See.”

It has been communicated that Gabriele will be performing “white-collar” tasks in the new centre of the “Bambino Gesu” children’s hospital next to the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. In about a month’s time the former butler and his family are expected to leave their apartment in the Vatican and move to a new house, provided by the Vatican, near his new workplace. The Pope’s new butler, Sandro Mariotti will be moving into Gabriele’s old apartment in the Holy See.

Gabriele could apparently not be working directly for the “Bambino Gesu” hospital but, instead, in other structures linked to it. The hospital has not issued any comments regarding this. The Vatican’s spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, said he did not wish to intervene in an issue which regards a “private citizen”.

Although officially the hospital has decided not to issue statements regarding the former butler’s employment, Gabriele will apparently not be working directly for “Bambino Gesu” but will probably be given a role in the projects of a social cooperative linked to the hospital structure. This would not be the first time the “Bambino Gesu” “network” actively helps out convicts or ex-convicts. The Vatican’s spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, said he did not wish to intervene in an issue which regards a “private citizen”.