He later passed some to journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, who this year released a best-selling book detailing scandals and infighting within the Vatican.

BBC: Pope Benedict pardons former butler Paolo Gabriele

Gabriele was arrested in May, following a Vatican investigation into how the pope's private documents appeared in the book "Sua Santita" ("His Holiness"), by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi.

CNN: Pope pardons ex-butler jailed over Vatican leaks

The Vatican butler was arrested in May, accused of passing papal correspondence to journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, whose book His Holiness: The Secret Papers Of Pope Benedict XVI was published that month.

BBC: Pope's ex-butler Gabriele 'kept top secret papers'