VATICAN CITY. In a historic verdict, the Vatican court has sentenced Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, once a trusted adviser to Pope Francis, to five-and-a-half years in prison for financial crimes. The 75-year-old cardinal, the highest-ranking Vatican official ever to face such charges, was at one point considered a potential candidate for the papacy.
The trial, spanning two-and-a-half years, focused on a London property deal that resulted in substantial losses for the Catholic Church. Cardinal Becciu vehemently denied charges of embezzlement and abuse of office, and his lawyer, Fabio Viglione, announced plans to appeal the decision.
Becciu stood trial alongside nine other defendants, all facing a combination of convictions and acquittals on various charges, including fraud, money laundering, and abuse of office. The court proceedings unveiled internal strife and covert activities within the highest echelons of the Vatican.
After over five hours of deliberation, Court President Giuseppe Pignatone declared Cardinal Becciu guilty of embezzlement. The verdict underscored the complexity and intrigue surrounding financial impropriety allegations at the heart of the Vatican.
The focal point of the trial was a property located far from the Vatican in London—60 Sloane Avenue in affluent Chelsea. The Vatican’s Secretariat of State, led by Becciu at the time, invested over €200 million ($220 million; £170 million) in acquiring a 45% stake in the building in 2014, with plans to convert it into luxury apartments. In 2018, the Secretariat decided to purchase the property outright, injecting an additional €150 million euros into the venture.
Cardinal Becciu, as the Vatican’s Substitute for General Affairs, played a key role in approving the deal. The funds, initially intended for charitable purposes, were deposited into a trust managed by London-based Italian financier Raffaele Mincione, who orchestrated the acquisition. A subsequent financial request from the Secretariat to the Vatican’s bank raised concerns, leading to a police raid and charges against Becciu, Mincione, and eight others.
However, the investigation extended beyond the London property deal. Becciu faced allegations of channeling substantial funds to his home diocese in Sardinia, some reportedly benefiting his family. Additionally, he was accused of paying almost €600,000 to Cecilia Marogna, another defendant, to aid in the release of a kidnapped nun in Mali. Prosecutors claimed Marogna, who presented herself as an intelligence expert to the Vatican, misused the funds on luxury items and vacations.
Cardinal Becciu’s trial marked a significant moment, as he became the first cardinal ever tried for financial crimes. The verdict resulted in Pope Francis stripping him of various rights, including the right to vote in a future conclave for the selection of the next pope.
The case served as a test for Pope Francis’s commitment to cleaning up the Vatican’s finances, a longstanding issue that had plagued his predecessor, Benedict XVI. The outcome of this trial may have far-reaching implications for Pope Francis’s legacy as a reformer within the Catholic Church.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
