Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a once influential figure in the Catholic Church and former adviser to Pope Francis, has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison by a Vatican court. In a landmark trial that concluded on Saturday, Becciu became the first highest-ranking clergyman in the Catholic Church to face the scrutiny of a Vatican criminal court.
The charges against Becciu, including embezzlement, abuse of office, and witness tampering, were connected to a Vatican investment in a luxury building in London.
In this landmark trial involving ten defendants, which included financiers, lawyers, and former Vatican employees, all were found guilty, except for Becciu’s former secretary, Mauro Carlino.
While Becciu’s lawyer, Fabio Viglione, expressed respect for the sentence and announced plans to appeal, emphasizing Becciu’s innocence, the Vatican court imposed an 8,000-euro ($8,700) fine as part of the judgment.
At the heart of the trial was the contentious Vatican investment in a London property, shedding light on opaque financial practices within the Holy See.
President Giuseppe Pignatone led the court, delivering sentences ranging from fines to over seven years in prison, along with the confiscation of 166 million euros from the convicted individuals. The court also mandated compensation exceeding 200 million euros to civil parties.
This trial underscored Pope Francis’s commitment to addressing financial irregularities within the Catholic Church. Notably, Vatican civilian courts were granted authority to try cardinals and bishops just weeks before the trial began, marking a departure from the previous practice of being judged by a court presided over by cardinals.
The crux of the trial focused on the Vatican’s decision in 2013-2014 to invest $200 million in a fund managed by financier Raffaele Mincione. Becciu, found guilty of embezzlement, faced judgment for the highly risky investment that resulted in Vatican losses ranging from 140 million to 190 million euros.
Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi sought a sentence of seven years and three months for Becciu, who consistently maintained his innocence, denying any involvement in financial wrongdoing.
This comprehensive trial, spanning over two and a half years with more than 80 hearings held within the Vatican Museums, brought attention to procedural challenges. Defense lawyers raised concerns about limited access to crucial evidence.
Becciu, a former Vatican diplomat and the second-highest official in the Secretariat of State from 2011 to 2018, resigned abruptly in September 2020 upon learning of the investigation against him.
Initially focused on a 125,000-euro donation to a Sardinian charity, Becciu was also implicated in a 570,000-euro payment to Cecilia Marogna, receiving a sentence of three years and nine months.
Other defendants, including Raffaele Mincione and Gianluigi Torzi, were also sentenced. Enrico Crasso and Fabrizio Tirabassi received seven and a half years and six years, respectively.
