By Graham Smith PUBLISHED: 10:04 EST, 3 October 2012 | UPDATED: 10:06 EST, 3 October 2012 Pope Benedict's former butler stole thousands of highly sensitive documents the pontiff had marked 'to be destroyed' and compromised Vatican security through his actions, a court heard today. On the third day of Paolo Gabriele's trial, testimony depicted a man fascinated by the occult, Masonic lodges, secret services and past Italian and Vatican scandals. Stefano De Santis was one of four Vatican police officers who said they found the papers in the 46-year-old's home. On trial: The Pope's former butler Paolo Gabriele (right) sits in the wood-trimmed courtroom of the Vatican tribunal at an earlier hearing on Saturday. He is accused of stealing thousands of top secret papal documents
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Paolo Gabriele admits leaking details of Church power struggles
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The 46-year-old says he wanted to expose 'corruption'
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However, he denies the charge of aggravated theft
@placeholder told the court: 'One photocopy was enough to threaten the operations of the Holy See.'