Former cardinal Angelo Becciu sentenced to prison

The Vatican court handed down a five-year and six-month jail sentence to Angelo Becciu, once a powerful Italian cardinal and former adviser to Pope Francis, marking a significant moment as the highest-ranking clergyman in the Catholic Church faced a Vatican criminal court.

Becciu, who was once considered a potential candidate for the papacy, received the sentence as part of a trial focused on the Vatican’s ill-fated investment in a luxury building in London.

The charges against him included embezzlement, abuse of office, and witness tampering.

Despite respecting the sentence, Becciu’s lawyer, Fabio Viglione, announced plans to appeal, vehemently maintaining Becciu’s innocence.

The trial involved ten defendants, including financiers, lawyers, and ex-Vatican employees, with the majority found guilty.

The heart of the trial centered on the Vatican’s controversial investment of $200 million in 2013-2014 into a fund managed by financier Raffaele Mincione.

Becciu was found guilty of embezzlement in connection to this risky investment, resulting in substantial losses for the Vatican.

The court, led by President Giuseppe Pignatone, issued sentences ranging from fines to more than seven years in jail for the convicted defendants. Additionally, the court ordered the confiscation of 166 million euros from those found guilty and mandated compensation of over 200 million euros to civil parties.

This landmark trial exposed the Vatican’s murky finances, a matter Pope Francis has been actively addressing since assuming leadership in 2013.

The purchase of a building in London’s Chelsea neighborhood became a focal point, revealing financial mismanagement that impacted resources intended for charitable causes.

Becciu, once the number two in the Secretariat of State, resigned abruptly in September 2020 after being informed of investigations against him.

The trial, spanning more than two and a half years with over 80 hearings, unfolded in a dedicated room within the Vatican Museums.

The sentencing also involved other notable figures, including financier Raffaele Mincione, who received a five-and-a-half-year jail term, and broker Gianluigi Torzi, sentenced to six years in connection to the London deal.

The trial underscored Pope Francis’s commitment to transparency and accountability within the Catholic Church, as it navigated through procedural challenges and shed light on financial improprieties within the Holy See.