Shockingly, Pope Francis’ cardinal is on trial for corruption – #Shockingly #Pope #Francis #cardinal #trial #corruption
VATICAN CITY, Feb 9 (Reuters) – In a surprise move, Pope Francis on Thursday granted an official private audience to Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a once-powerful Vatican prelate on trial for corruption and embezzlement.
Pope and Becciu, Francis 2020Although they met on an informal basis after dismissing him in 1955, it was the first time since then that the cardinal was on the public list of official audiences at the pontiff’s Apostolic Palace.
Giving the audience such a formal and solemn character has led to speculation in some Catholic media that a rapprochement between the two or rehabilitation of the cardinal is expected.
Becciu in the corruption trial surrounding the purchase of a building in London by the Secretary of State 10 is one of the accused. 2020It started in July.
All the defendants, including Vatican employees and Italian intermediaries who the prosecution says were extorted from the Vatican law they denied the violation.
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Pope Francis 2020Becciu from another high-ranking position in free he did, and he denied the accusation.
When Becciu was fired, he was also stripped of what the Vatican said at the time were his “rights to be a cardinal.”
This included the right to enter a secret conclave to elect the next Pope after Francis’ death or resignation.
From work Before his removal, Becciu was one of the most powerful men in the Vatican. He 2011-2018Deputy Secretary of State in the years, and later 2018from his post in 2020 free Until then, he was the head of the Vatican department that investigated potential candidates for sainthood.
In one of the most recent court hearings, last November court He listened to a secretly recorded phone conversation between Becciu and the pope.
Reporting by Philip Pullella; Edited by Nick Macfie
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2023-02-10 02:47:23
Source – reuters
Translation“24 HOURS”