In a first, Cardinal Angelo Becciu has been convicted before the Vatican criminal court for embezzlement on Saturday. He has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison.
His lawyer told reporters on Saturday that he would appeal again as innocent. Becciu is the most senior catholic church official to stand trial in Vatican history.
Last year, Pope Francis showed proof that Becciu sent 100,000 euros from Vatican funds to a charity in Sardinia run by Becciu’s brother. As a result, Pope Francis made Becciu step down from leading the Vatican’s saint-making office and took away his status as a cardinal. The Vatican press office quickly announced this punishment.
Prior to the trial, the pope took action by removing his former close aide from his role as the head of the Vatican’s department for canonizing saints as well as revoking his right to vote in a future conclave. The trial represents a significant challenge for Pope Francis and is testing his ongoing efforts to introduce transparency and accountability to the state’s long muddy financial operations.
Vatican’s London building investment
The trial is focused on the Vatican buying a big property in Chelsea, London. They spent around $400 million over several years but ended up losing $150 million when they sold it. The legal team argued that the church was tricked into paying too much for the property which made middlemen a lot of money. They also said the people in charge of the deal were not careful in their duties.
In 2019, the pope labelled the London investment deal a “scandal,” and this week he cautioned Vatican auditors about the vice of corruption and emphasized the need to exercise extreme vigilance. Despite numerous efforts by Francis to address the Vatican’s financial issues the ongoing trial highlights that there is still much work to be done. The pope has frequently emphasized the warning that “the devil enters through the pockets” to underscore the vulnerability to corruption in financial matters.
Other charges
Becciu was removed from his second position in 2020 due to suspected nepotism. He faces accusations in connection to the investigation. These allegations involve directing money and contracts to businesses or charities run by his brothers in their hometown of Sardinia. Additionally, Becciu is accused of making payments to Cecilia Marogna, another person on trial. Becciu has stated that the funds were for a project aimed at securing the release of a nun who had been kidnapped in Mali.
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