Cardinal Becciu and 8 others were convicted of financial crimes.
December 16, 2023, 1:00 PM ET
• 4 min read
ROME — The Vatican city court on Saturday sentenced Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, once touted as a possible papal contender, to 5 1/2 years in prison for mismanaging a Vatican property portfolio which included a luxury flat in London.
Becciu, the former Substitute for General Affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State, is the highest ranking Vatican official ever to face financial charges. He was convicted on two counts of embezzlement and one of aggravated fraud, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. He was acquitted of other counts of embezzlement, abuse of office and witness tampering.
The court also fined Becciu 8,000 euros and banned him from public office for life. Becciu’s defense lawyer, Fabio Viglione, said he and his client “respect the sentence” but will…
