Pope's Ex-Butler to Stand Trial Over 'VatiLeaks'

Pope Benedict's former butler is going on trial over the "VatiLeaks" scandal, per the order of a Vatican judge today. Paolo Gabriele was charged in May with leaking sensitive information about the Vatican, and is currently under house arrest, the BBC reports. Gabriele was one of just a few people with access to the papal apartments, and police found confidential documents at his home. He confessed to taking the papers, his lawyer says, but he claimed to have believed he was acting in the Church's best interests.

Rumors have swirled around Gabriele, with some saying he's actually part of a larger group of whistleblowers headed by a cardinal; others believe he's actually a scapegoat. The AP notes that a conviction could land Gabriele in prison for one to six years ... but that depends "on any possible pardon" from the pope, says a rep for the Vatican. (More Vatican leaks stories.)