VATICAN CITY: A Vatican court on Saturday sentenced a once powerful Italian cardinal to five years and six months in jail for financial crimes at the end of a historic trial.

Angelo Becciu, 75, a former adviser to Pope Francis who was once considered a papal contender himself, was the most senior clergyman in the Catholic Church to face a Vatican criminal court.

He and nine other defendants, including financiers, lawyers and ex-Vatican employees, were on trial for accusations of financial crimes focused on an opaque London property deal.

Court president Giuseppe Pignatone read out the verdict on Saturday, with Becciu accused of embezzlement, abuse of office and witness tampering. His lawyer, Fabio Viglione, said they respected the sentence but would “certainly” appeal. He was also handed a fine of 8,000 euros.

At the heart of the trial is the 350-million-euro ($380-million) purchase of a luxury property in London, as part of an investment that began in 2014 and ended up costing the Vatican tens of millions of euros.

The trial, which began in July 2021, has shone a light on the Vatican’s murky finances, which Pope Francis has sought to clean up since taking the helm of the Catholic Church in March 2013. It is also a test of his reforms.

Just weeks before the trial, Pope Francis gave the Vatican’s civilian courts the power to try cardinals and bishops, where previously they were judged by a court presided over by cardinals.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2023