VATICAN CITY
The Telegraph (United Kingdom)
Pope Benedict XVI opened a crucial meeting of bishops from around the world on Sunday, just 24 hours after his butler was given an 18 month prison sentence for stealing confidential papers from the Vatican.
By Nick Squires, Rome
6:55PM BST 07 Oct 2012
Many Vatican observers said it was no coincidence that the trial of Paolo Gabriele, one of the biggest scandals to hit the Holy See for years, was brought to a neat conclusion the day before the start of the three week long synod.
Senior Vatican figures were anxious that the trial, which consisted of just four hearings lasting less than 10 hours, be dealt with quickly so that the Pope can concentrate on the synod and the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, which reformed key aspects of the Roman Catholic Church.
But the many lingering questions over the murky affair could yet tarnish the conference, in which Catholic leaders will discuss how to “re-evangelise” the West in the face of secularism and a sharp decline in church attendance.
One Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, published a list of 10 unanswered questions regarding the butler’s theft and leaking of compromising documents, including whether the butler had done a deal with the Vatican not to speak freely about the scandal in return for a lenient sentence.
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