VATICAN CITY
Washington Post

Father of pope’s imprisoned butler defends son over leaks of sensitive Vatican documents

By Associated Press, Updated: Sunday, July 15

VATICAN CITY — The father of Pope Benedict XVI’s imprisoned butler says his son is honest and hopes the truth will emerge concerning the leaks of sensitive Vatican documents.

Andrea Gabriele wrote a letter Sunday to television station Tgcom 24, the first time Paolo Gabriele’s family has commented on his alleged involvement in the scandal since his May 23 arrest. The documents, which were published in Italian media, exposed infighting and power struggles in the highest levels of the Vatican.

While Andrea Gabriele defended his son, he hinted that the motivation behind the leaks was to expose wrongdoing for the sake of purifying the church. He said his son was “paying the price first-hand.”