The first cardinal convicted in the Vatican’s criminal court will be retried because of procedural errors in his original prosecution three years ago, an appeals court ruled on Tuesday.
The cardinal, Giovanni Angelo Becciu, once one of the Vatican’s most powerful officials, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in 2023 after being convicted of financial crimes alongside nine other defendants. The tribunal on Tuesday upheld their appeal that prosecutors had withheld evidence during the original proceedings.
Why it matters
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Cardinal Becciu was once chief of staff to Pope Francis, who died last year and was succeeded by Leo XIV. Catholic news media referred to his prosecution as the “trial of the century.”
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The case is considered a major test of the Vatican’s justice system, its ability to hold papal insiders to account and the professionalism of its prosecutors. Previously, scandals were often swept under the rug.
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The outcome of the retrial could affect the legacy of Pope Francis. He secretly made four changes to Vatican law during the first trial, which defense lawyers argued unfairly benefited the prosecution.
What happened in the original case
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In 2019, Vatican prosecutors charged the cardinal and his fellow defendants with fraud, embezzlement, abuse of office, money laundering and extortion.
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Most charges related to a London real estate deal that cost the Vatican millions of euros.
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In 2023, Cardinal Becciu and others were convicted on some charges and acquitted on others. Defendants included former Vatican staff, financiers, consultants and an intelligence expert. All appealed.
Why was a retrial called
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In a 16-page ruling, the appeals court said that Vatican prosecutors committed procedural errors that warranted a new trial.
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The court ruled that the prosecutors had unfairly withheld evidence.
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One of Pope Francis’s secret law changes let prosecutors act without judicial oversight. The appeals court said the defendants should have known of the change.
What happens next
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The new trial is set to begin on June 22.
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Defense lawyers said that the defendants would be retried only for the charges on which they were originally convicted. Their acquittals on the other charges will remain in place, the lawyers said.
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Cardinal Becciu, whose original jail term was suspended until the conclusion of the appeals process, remains at liberty.
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Mario Zanchetti, a lawyer for another defendant, said in an interview that he hoped the new trial would be “respectful of the rules and the rights of the defense.”
Elisabetta Povoledo is a Times reporter based in Rome, covering Italy, the Vatican and the culture of the region. She has been a journalist for 35 years.
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