The Vatican Court defined the purchase and sale of the London building as “extremely risky” and “incompatible with the prudent behavior” required of investors. This assessment emerged in the reasons for the sentence which saw several people convicted, including Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, for various crimes in December 2023. Presided by Giuseppe Pignatone, the court presented a detailed document of over 800 pages to explain the reasons of these convictions and reject some defense arguments.
The reasons
The ruling underlines that there is no doubt that the Vatican system guarantees the right to a fair trial, even if it disputes that it violates the European Convention on Human Rights. In particular, it is clarified that the crime of embezzlement, considered as an “illicit use” of money according to Vatican laws, does not depend on the presence or absence of a profit. This point contrasts with the defense put forward by Becciu, who tried to argue that there were no benefits in the operation.
“The responsibility of the latter cannot be questioned even on the basis of a further argument which he instead intended to enhance in several circumstances: the claimed absence of utility”, we read. A fact which “may perhaps have its own relevance in a meta-procedural dimension” but “from a purely legal point of view (which is the only one that can be scrutinized here) loses all meaning” because “the purpose of profit is completely extraneous to the case in point of embezzlement provided for by Vatican law”.
Often and the Marogna case
Also regarding the funds intended for the cooperative of the diocese of Ozieri, the sentence emphasizes that the illegality of the donation to one’s relatives is the focal point, regardless of the charitable objective or the possible failure to spend the funds. Furthermore, the case of Cecilia Marogna, who received a considerable sum to free a kidnapped nun but instead spent the money on personal possessions, is highlighted. “Despite full awareness of the absolute gravity of the facts – states the accusation – Cardinal Becciu did not distance himself from Marogna even in the statements made by the accused, in which he continued to support the professionalism and reliability of the woman without ever address the issue of the money you spent.”
Letters with the Pope
The sentence also mentions the exchange of letters between the Pope and Becciu, highlighting a clear distance between the two. Furthermore, the action of recording a private conversation with the Holy Father is condemned as an incredible act. The Court document reconstructs the facts starting from 2012-2013, highlighting a series of crimes committed by individuals who abused Holy See funds. Cardinal Becciu’s lawyers have announced that they have filed an appeal and are justifying it based on the Court’s ruling, while underlining the discrepancy between the court’s conclusions and what emerged during the trial in which the cardinal’s innocence was declared.
