A upheld conviction would signal Vatican’s resolve to hold senior figures accountable, while a reversal could undermine confidence in judicial and financial reforms.
Newsroom (22/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) Cardinal Angelo Becciu, once a towering figure in the Vatican’s inner circle, will appear before the Vatican Court of Cassation on Monday for the first hearing of his appeal in a sprawling corruption case that has shaken the Holy See for over four years. The trial, known as Protocol No. 26/23 RGPCA, marks a pivotal moment in the Vatican’s ongoing struggle to reform its financial systems under Pope Francis.
In December 2023, Becciu, 77, was convicted of embezzlement, aggravated fraud, and abuse of office, receiving a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The charges stemmed from his alleged role in a €350 million London property deal plagued by inflated fees, secret commissions, and conflicts of interest, costing the Vatican over $200 million. He was also found guilty of funneling €125,000 to his brother’s charity in Sardinia without authorization and diverting more than €500,000 to Cecilia Marogna, a self-styled security consultant accused of misusing funds on luxury goods and travel.
The appeal, set to unfold in a newly inaugurated courtroom within the Apostolic Palace, will scrutinize the original trial’s procedural integrity. Becciu’s defense team is expected to argue that undisclosed papal decrees were used to justify wiretaps and detentions, while alleging that witnesses were coached and exculpatory evidence ignored. The cardinal has steadfastly maintained his innocence, insisting that all actions were approved by Pope Francis and served humanitarian or ecclesial purposes.
Adding intrigue, the court will review over 3,000 pages of leaked WhatsApp messages between Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui, a former Vatican communications adviser, and Genevieve Ciferri, a PR specialist. Published in August, the messages suggest attempts to sway witnesses and manipulate media narratives, raising questions about external interference in the case.
The trial, which began in July 2021 and ended with convictions for Becciu and nine others—including financiers Raffaele Mincione and Gianluigi Torzi, banker Enrico Crasso, and former Secretariat official Fabrizio Tirabassi—has exposed deep fissures in the Vatican’s financial governance. An 800-page judgment released in October 2024 detailed Becciu’s “blatant disregard of fiduciary responsibility,” cementing the case as a cornerstone of Pope Francis’ financial reform agenda.
Yet the proceedings have also cast an uncomfortable spotlight on the Pope himself, with repeated references to his approval of sensitive financial decisions. As the appeal coincides with preparations for the Synod on Synodality, the Vatican faces heightened scrutiny at a delicate moment.
Becciu, a Sardinian native, rose to prominence as sostituto in the Secretariat of State in 2011, effectively serving as Pope Francis’ chief of staff for internal Church matters. Elevated to cardinal in 2018 and appointed prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, his career unraveled in 2020 when he was asked to resign amid the scandal. Earlier this year, during the conclave, Becciu briefly asserted his eligibility to vote for the next pope before withdrawing, citing obedience to Francis.
The appeal’s outcome will carry profound implications. A upheld conviction would signal the Vatican’s resolve to hold senior figures accountable, while a reversal could undermine confidence in its judicial and financial reforms. As the Holy See navigates this high-stakes case, the world watches to see whether justice or doubt will prevail.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic Herald
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