Once a Close Confidant of the Pope, Tried for Embezzlement and Abuse of Power
Recording Includes Details of 'Ransom Payment to Terrorist Group for Nun'
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] It has been revealed that Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who served as the Substitute for the Secretariat of State and Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and was considered a key figure in the Vatican, secretly recorded a phone conversation with Pope Francis ahead of his trial.
On the 25th (local time), according to AFP and CNN, Italian local media obtained and disclosed a transcript of a phone call between Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu (73, Italy) and the Pope on July 24 of last year. The call took place three days before the start of Becciu’s trial on charges including embezzlement, abuse of power, and incitement to perjury. The call, made on speakerphone at Cardinal Becciu’s residence, was reportedly recorded by a third party known to be a relative of the cardinal. This transcript was submitted as evidence at a hearing held at the Vatican court on the 24th.
During the call with the Pope, the cardinal asked about the ransom payment related to Sister Gloria Cecilia Narv?ez, a Colombian national who was kidnapped in Mali, Africa, in 2017: "Did you give me the authority to initiate the operation to free that sister? Yes or no?" He then pressed for confirmation, asking, "We set the ransom at $500,000 (about 670 million KRW), and I think you said it was immoral to give more money that would go into the terrorists’ pockets, so it should not be more than that. Do you remember?" At the time of the call, the Pope was ten days post-discharge from surgery for colonic stenosis and said he "vaguely" remembered the matter, requesting the cardinal to submit the details in writing for confirmation.
Known to be involved in the high-end real estate trading corruption case in the Chelsea area
Cardinal Becciu, who was the Pope’s closest aide with daily audiences during his tenure as Substitute for the Secretariat of State from 2011 to 2018, is known to have been deeply involved in a high-end real estate trading corruption case in the Chelsea area of London, UK, which caused the Vatican financial loss exceeding 180 billion KRW. This case exposed the Vatican’s lax and opaque financial management issues, and particularly drew heavy criticism inside and outside the Catholic Church because the 'Peter’s Pence' donations from believers worldwide were used as investment capital. Originally, Peter’s Pence is intended as funding for the Pope’s pastoral activities and should be used to support residents in conflict and disaster areas and the poor worldwide. Ultimately, Cardinal Becciu was indicted last July along with nine other suspects, including real estate brokers, but has consistently denied all charges. The cardinal abruptly resigned in September 2020 without explanation, and the Vatican only stated in a press release that "the Pope accepted Cardinal Becciu’s resignation." Although he resigned, Becciu retains his cardinal status but is barred from participating in the conclave to elect the next Pope.
Additionally, Cardinal Becciu is accused of paying approximately 575,000 euros (about 800 million KRW) of Vatican funds to Cecilia Marogna, who claimed to be a 'security consultant' for unofficial diplomatic activities on behalf of the Vatican. CNN reported that the cardinal sought confirmation from the Pope that he had approved the payment to Marogna, who was also indicted on embezzlement charges, stating that the funds were intended to pay costs related to the release of the kidnapped nun through the British company Inkerman Group, which specializes in international terrorism. Sister Gloria Cecilia Narv?ez, mentioned in the transcript, was released on October 9 last year and was reportedly kidnapped by a local Islamic extremist terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, the Vatican announced in July that it had completed the sale of the controversial London property to the US-based private equity group Bain Capital. The sale price was ?186 million (about 290.9 billion KRW). The Vatican had purchased the property in 2014 and reportedly invested a total of 350 million euros (about 474.7 billion KRW), resulting in a loss exceeding 180 billion KRW. The Vatican did not disclose the exact amount of the loss but stated that the entire loss from the London real estate transaction was covered by a reserve fund. Previously, after a two-year investigation, the Vatican judicial authorities indicted a total of 10 people last July, including Cardinal Becciu. Among them were brokers who gained improper profits during the property purchase and operation process, and senior officials of the Vatican financial supervisory body who knowingly overlooked the irregularities in the transactions.
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