Cardinal Becciu denies any wrongdoing before Vatican court

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the highest Church official ever to be tried by a Vatican civil court, has vigorously denied charges of embezzlement and financial mismanagement.

The Sardinian cardinal, who will be 74 next month, spent two-and-a-half hours on May 5 reading a statement before judges. They were gathered in a room inside the Vatican Museums that’s been used as a court since last July when he and nine others were put on trial.

Becciu was Sostituto (deputy Secretary of State for internal affairs) from 2011 to 2018, a position that put him in charge of part of the Holy See's investments.

During last week's hearing, he defended himself on the two main charges -- embezzling €125,000 in favor of his brothers and overseeing a disastrous €100 million real estate deal that ended up losing €176 million for the Holy See.

"I can say, in all conscience, that during seven long years of service, I have spent myself unreservedly for the Holy Father and for the Church," said Becciu, who is believed to be the first cardinal in history to be judged by a civil tribunal in the Vatican. 

"Aware of my commitment and dedication, I feel satisfaction for the many results achieved for the good of the Church and deep sadness for the unfounded accusations against which I am called to defend myself," he said.

"I wonder how I could have acted otherwise"

Becciu was the prefect of Congregation for the Causes of Saints in September 2020 when Pope Francis stripped him of his rights and duties as a cardinal.

The lifelong papal diplomat gave his lengthy defense at the beginning of a hearing that lasted nearly six hours. Among other things, he affirmed that he had "full legitimacy" to manage the funds of the Secretariat of State and operate any investment.

This was a way of responding to accusations that he had failed to consult APSA (the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See), before authorizing an investment in a building in London.  

APSA manages the Holy See's real estate portfolio, but the cardinal said the Secretariat of State had significant autonomy in managing its funds. 

He said the €100 million investment in London, which went through a fund called "Athena", had been validated by all the experts that were consulted. 

It was later discovered that some of those experts pocketed comfortable commissions. 

"I still wonder today how I could have acted differently in light of the information I was given at the time," Becciu said.

He insisted that he acted in "absolute good faith”.

A former member of the Italian secret service

In fact, the former deputy Secretary of State blamed the decision on one of his former aides, Msgr Alberto Perlasca. The Italian priest is the prosecution’s key witness and provided much of the information that led to charges against Becciu.  

"Because of the technical expertise and trust I placed in Msgr Perlasca and the office (which he headed), I never made a decision on financial investments during my mandate that was not in line with what was proposed to me," the cardinal said.  

But he did not describe his former subordinate in flattering terms. 

"You could say that the administrative office was almost his own little kingdom, of which he felt he was the boss," Becciu said.

He said he and Perlasca initially had a working relationship built on mutual trust and said he even supported Perlasca when the priest was removed from the Secretariat of State in 2019.  

Becciu said Perlasca sent him a phone text message after the ouster, saying he wanted to commit suicide.

The cardinal also spoke about meeting a woman named Genoveffa Ciferri Putignani in 2020.  She introduced herself as a friend of Perlasca’s and a "former Italian secret service agent". 

The two of them then had several meetings and Becciu said Putignani threatened to have him stripped of his red hat.

"Beware that I know journalists in Italy and England who will be able to destroy you or praise you according to your commitment to Perlasca," she allegedly said.

The trial is expected to continue for several more months, as the court has given a timetable that extends to July. The next hearing will take place on May 18.