https://sputnikglobe.com/20231217/vatican-court-sentences-cardinal-becciu-in-high-profile-corruption-case-1115639755.html

Vatican Court Sentences Cardinal Becciu in High-Profile Corruption Case

Vatican Court Sentences Cardinal Becciu in High-Profile Corruption Case

Sputnik International

The ex-chief of staff to the Pope, previously a key figure in handling church finances, has been found guilty along with nine co-defendants over a complex real estate transaction in London worth €350 million that resulted in significant financial losses.

2023-12-17T11:41+0000

2023-12-17T11:41+0000

2023-12-17T11:41+0000

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In a landmark trial on Saturday, the Vatican court imposed a 5.5-year prison sentence on Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, a once-powerful papal dignitary.This unprecedented sentencing is the first time a curial cardinal has faced imprisonment by a pontifical court. The case, initiated by Pope Francis amending Vatican law, represents a seismic shift in addressing internal corruption and accountability. It allowed for Cardinal Becciu's trial rather than by a court of his peers, breaking centuries of tradition with no recent precedent since the 16th century.Cardinal Becciu, previously Pope Francis' chief of staff and who was once considered a potential candidate for the papacy, was sentenced for his involvement in a complex €350 million London real estate deal, causing huge losses to the Holy See.This marks a stark fall for the cardinal, once central to the Vatican's financial operations. He and nine others faced charges of fraud, embezzlement, abuse of office, money laundering, and extortion. Maintaining his innocence, the cardinal's lawyer announced plans to appeal his sentence.The trial has sparked a robust debate within the Roman Catholic Church about the legitimacy and independence of the Vatican's judicial system.Cardinal Becciu’s lawyers told the press that Pope Francis' consolidation of power by appointing judges and four subsequent mid-investigation law changes undermines the trial's fairness and judicial independence. “The pope accumulates in himself legislative power, judicial power, and executive power, and what is more, the pope changed the rules in this trial,” Giovanni Maria Vian, ex-editor of L’Osservatore Romano, expressed to news sources.Supporters, however, view the trial as indicative of Pope Francis' commitment to radical reforms, promoting accountability and transparency in the Vatican. For the papacy’s backers, the trial is about "Francis the great reformer, promoting a new culture of accountability and transparency in the Vatican,” reports John Allen, editor of the Catholic news site Crux.Throughout the 85 hearings, the trial revealed Vatican infighting, scandals, and carelessness, drawing diverse reactions from historians, experts, church supporters, and critics.The trial is seen as a “desolate panorama” with “fierce contrasts between different Vatican institutions,” reflecting its complexity and potential impact on Pope Francis' papacy and the Vatican's inner workings.This trial follows a 2019 Vatican raid investigating a London property purchase and Pope Francis' 2020 action to strip the Secretariat of State of significant financial assets after dubious investments.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230110/vatican-opposition-embarks-on-secret-plan-to-topple-pope-francis-report-1106188467.html

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