“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock”.
Benedict XVI exhausted, grieved, but still smiling reminded believers of Rinnovamento dello Spirito (Renewal of the Spirit) of Jesus’ words.
Even though the Vatican was founded on the rock, its foundations keep shaking after the unexpected turn of events with the arrest of Paolo Gabriele, the pope’s butler, on suspicion of leaking hundred of confidential documents which he would have taken from the pope’s private desk.
In the Sacred palaces, there was a sense of annoyance for the articles spreading doubts over the accusations and describing the shock of many people in the Vatican at the possibility that someone like ‘little Paolo’ could be a mole.
“The documents that were found in his possession and which he should not have had are incontrovertible evidence of his guilt” said the Secretariat of State.
After the disbelief and shock, faced with the fact that the pope’s butler was illegally in possession of various documents, many in and outside the Vatican pondered about the butler’s motives and the people behind him.
An old priest with a long experience of vatican trials invited people to be cautious.
After the disbelief and shock, faced with the fact that the pope’s butler was illegally in possession of various documents, many in and outside the Vatican pondered about the butler’s motives and the people behind him.
An old priest with a long experience of vatican trials invited people to be cautious.
“The arrest took place Wednesday evening, the butler’s home was searched in that occasion and the documents were found. But a serious enquiry, worthy of its name, before labelling him a ‘mole’ would have to find elements proving how those documents exchanged hands”.
The cleric added “ we all feel embarassed and sad, Paolo’s family is crushed. Whoever pushed him to do such things is guiltier than him, because he used a naive person…”
These feelings are shared by many in the Vatican’s staff who know and have been friends with Paolo Gabriele for many years.
“Few remember that ‘little Paolo’ has been part of the papal household since 1998 and it was John Paul II’s Secretary, the current cardinal of Krakow, Stanislaw Dziwisz who appointed him. A position had bexome vacant and there were interviews. As usual there were lots and lots of applicants. It is understandable” said a friend of Paolo’s “ that is a place where everyone would like to work, you are settled for life if you work there… Gabriele did not even want to attend the interview, he was persuaded and was chosen by Dziwisz, who was struck by his deep faith and spontaneity. I remember that when John Paul II saw Paolo, he used wave his staff, he called him ‘Paulus’”.
But what about the documents that he was found with, the evidence that sealed his arrest? The man, who does not deny his friendship with the butler, thought about it and then in a small voice said.
“The man I know would not do this, he either went suddenly crazy, or was framed. Someone important might have asked him to keep those papers”.
The simplest theory, the clearer and most probable according to the results of the investigation so far confirmed by Fr. Federico Lombardi, is that of betrayal. Even though there is hardly anyone who believes that Paolo Gabriele might have been the only and main culprit, able to organize and manage the leaks.
Another Vatican’s employee friend of the butler said to Vatican Insider “I haven't been able to sleep for two nights. Little Paolo talked with me on Monday evening, he was sad because he had been informed a few hours before that he was suspected. He was bitter because all the people above him had lost faith in him. But I also found him calm. Basically he did not seem like someone hiding anything”.
We replied “and the evidence?” “ it’s a fact” said the man in a dark suit “I have been wondering about that ever since he was arrested. Why would he not get rid of those documents, if he had them when he was warned that he was suspected”.
The Vatican employees asked to remain anonymous, they fear being investigated, they speak in hushed tones. Another acquaintance of Paolo Gabriele’s told a significant story “he made a few mistakes, some years ago, when he was accosted by people who wanted to denounce to the pope some serious issues. For a sense of justice he collaborated, but he shouldn’t have and did things that went beyond his duties”.
The reasons for his involvement in the Vatileaks are, said a Vatican source “ money, or the conviction of being part of a ’transparency’ operation”.
We will have to wait to hear what he has to say and the results of the enquiry.
In the meantime there is still an atmosphere of suspicion in the Vatican.
The investigation carries on.
Apparently there is another lay man in the firing line.