Vatican City, Dec 20, 2016 / 12:25 pm (CNA/Vatican Insider).- Pope Francis has officially granted clemency to Spanish priest Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, who had already served half of his 18-month jail sentence for leaking confidential Vatican documents.

The Vatican announced Dec. 20 that the Pope had given Msgr. Vallejo Balda the "benefit of conditional release" and that the priest will now fall under the jurisdiction of his home diocese of Astorga, Spain.