Pope Benedict XVI waves his hand upon arrival at Rafik Hariri international airport, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 14, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon on Friday to urge peace at a time of great turmoil in the Middle East, saying the import of weapons to Syria during the country’s civil war is a “grave sin.” The three-day visit comes at a time of turmoil in the region — the civil war in neighboring Syria and in the aftermath of a mob attack that killed several Americans in Libya, including the U.S. ambassador. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI is “very likely” to pardon his former butler Paolo Gabriele, who was on Saturday sentenced to 18 months in prison for leaking secret memos revealing intrigue in the Vatican.
The possibility he will be pardoned “is very concrete and very likely”, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told journalists after the verdict, though he said he could not give any details as to when the pope’s pardon might come.