Who was number two of the Secretary of State of the Holy See just appeared before a court that will examine his apparent mismanagement of Catholic Church funds.
(Read: Pope Francis reaches his ninth year of pontificate pending Ukraine)
The Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu captured international attention in September 2020, when Pope Francis invited him to resign. to their prerogatives. It was the punishment for being involved in siphoning off funds for his own benefit.
(He is interested: For this reason, the Archbishop of Cali asks the Pope to enlist his replacement)
My conscience is clear and I know that I have always acted in the interest of the Holy See and never in my personal interest. Those who know me well can attest to that.
Becciu was accused of taking money from the Secretary of State – where he served as “number two of the powerful” instance – to buy a luxury building in London.
He was also said to have taken hundreds of millions of euros from donations to invest in businesses.
He, of course, denied the charges. “I didn’t quite understand why the Pope did this to me. I want to know more because this gravity is not right for me, ”he replied.
Despite his words, the process continued. And, last Thursday the 17th, Becciu was questioned as a defendant in a Vatican City State court.
The judges must not only decide if he was involved in irregular purchases, but also determine if “he favored his family by sending three payments of 225 thousand euros to a cooperative that employed people without resources, but managed by his brother ” .
In addition, the “strange payment of 500,000 euros to a supposed ‘secret agent’, theoretically to free kidnapped missionaries in Africa” is also in question.
Becciu still maintains his speech: “I have been portrayed as a corrupt man: with money greed, disloyalty to the Pope and concern only for the well-being of my family.”
According to the ABC portal, the cardinal’s lawyers are calm. For them, “it has been demonstrated with the force of absolute evidence, the correct use of the sums managed by the Secretary of State, with the sole and exclusive purpose of charity.”
And they added: “The suspicion of irregularities has thus been eliminated, confirming the innocence of the cardinal, which he has always maintained.”
A transcendental process
He was among the most powerful, with an important position in the Secretariat of State, the most influential administrative body in the Vatican bureaucratic structure.
“This trial, I think, is transcendental,” says expert historian on religious issues Juan Fonseca. He raises two reasons. The first is the charge of the defendant. “It is the first time that a cardinal has been subjected to this type of judicial process.And it’s not just any person.”
Second, this process shows that Pope Francis’s policy on handling the internal affairs of the Catholic Church is bearing “some fruit.” “I underline ‘some’ because it’s not enough,” Fonseca notes.
“The two great problems that the Church has faced in recent years, and that have been revealed to the world, are the scandal of clerical pedophilia, and the discovery of shady dealings in Vatican finances.” “This case shows that very concrete measures are being taken regarding the latter,” Fonseca said.
change of look
That this judgment is happening well could be interpreted as a change within the Catholic Church. On purpose or not, the institution would be betting on recognizing certain principles within its long-standing structure.
Fonseca says: “For example, the principle of transparency; that is, that the funds are managed clearly. And, in any case, that the money must be subject to the control of the law, and that the rules must be applied regardless of who uses the resources”.
One can also speak of a commitment to the moral management of the Church’s resources. “For many years, there were hierarchs who assumed that they could manage the funds at their discretion, which are usually contributions from the faithful, and use them as if it were a company without ethical rigor.”
It would be necessary to hope, Fonseca maintains, that this process will be an example for the rest of the members of the Vatican bureaucracy. And not only for them, but for other subordinate instances.
“I am referring to what happens within the national churches, in the management of funds in dioceses or archdioceses, even in parishes, where these bad practices are usually very common.”
“But, at least from the internal standards, there are already some measures that are important to set a good example for the rest of the Church.”Juan Diego Rodriguez Bazala
The Peru Commerce
GDA
More world news
– Ukraine: troops only have ammunition and food for three more days
– How is the discussion about abortion going in the United States?
– They carry out rescue work in the area where a Boeing plane fell in China
#dark #case #Vatican #cardinal #embezzled #money