Pope grants pre-Christmas pardon to former butler
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A handout photo released by the Osservatore Romano shows Vatican's ex-bulter Paolo Gabriele meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican City prison on Dec 22, 2012. Pope Benedict has pardoned Gabriele, his former butler who was convicted in October of leaking sensitive documents that alleged corruption in the Holy See, the Vatican said on Saturday. -- PHOTO: AFP
VATICAN CITY (REUTERS) - Pope Benedict has pardoned Paolo Gabriele, his former butler who was convicted in October of leaking sensitive documents that alleged corruption in the Holy See, the Vatican said on Saturday.
The Vatican said the pope visited Gabriele in the Vatican's jail on Saturday morning to tell him personally of the pardon.
Gabriele was then released and had already returned to his family, the Vatican said.
Gabriele was convicted of aggravated theft on Oct 6 and had been serving an 18-month sentence in a Vatican jail cell.
