The Vatican has opened a new investigation into a disgraced cardinal’s alleged spying on Pope Francis. Becciu is already on trial on charges of financial mismanagement and corruption. However, on March 17, Becciu testified in the Vatican Court that he was innocent of the embezzlement, abuse of power and witness tampering charges. He said he Read more
Just when you think that the Vatican’s “trial of the century” against a cardinal and nine other defendants for various alleged financial crimes can’t get any more surreal, two developments pop out of the woodwork to prove you wrong. A hearing Thursday produced both a previously unknown, and unauthorised, recording of a phone call with Read more
An Italian court has dismissed Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s claims that unfavourable media coverage cost him the opportunity to be pope at the next Conclave. He has tried and failed twice to convince the court of his entitlement. Not only have Becciu’s claims been dismissed, but he has been ordered to pay thousands in damages and Read more
A woman on trial at the Vatican over the alleged leaking of secret documents has accused a high-ranking Vatican official of “waging a war against her”. Francesca Chaouqui said this during testimony at the trial of five defendants, including herself, at the Vatican. Ms Chaouqui, a public relations expert who used to work at the Read more
A Vatican trial of journalists and alleged whistleblowers who allegedly procured and revealed information and documents concerning “the fundamental interests of the Holy See” resumed on Monday, March 14. The trial has been adjourned for three months to enable computer experts to recover deleted email, text and WhatsApp messages between some of the accused. Francesca Read more
The Vatican trial of three employees and two Italian journalists over publication of leaked documents started on Tuesday amid protest. The trial of Msgr Angel Vallejo Balda, Francesca Jaouqui, Nicola Maio and journalists Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigu Nuzzi started with a 70-minute initial hearing. Recently published books by the two journalists outline instances of past Read more
A former papal ambassador awaiting a Vatican trial for abuse of minors and possessing child pornography has died after a suspected heart attack. Former archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, 67, was found dead “during the first hours of the morning”, the Vatican said in a statement on August 28. He was reportedly found in a room with the television Read more
Former Vatican diplomat Józef Wesołowski has been taken to hospital with an “unexpected illness” on the first day of his trial for alleged child sex abuse. His is the first trial in the Holy See’s criminal court of a senior official on charges of paedophilia and possession of child pornography. Wesołowski, a former archbishop, was Read more