VATICAN CITY (RNS) — When Cardinal Angelo Becciu, once a top-ranking Catholic prelate, was sentenced for embezzlement of church funds on Saturday (Dec. 16) — the first cardinal in history to be tried and sent to prison — it was a clear victory for Pope Francis’ mission to clamp down on corruption in the Vatican.But the trial, heard by a Vatican tribunal over three years, was so unprecedented that its central figure seemed in awe of the historic moment — “I was shocked,” Becciu told the Italian media in apparent disbelief Tuesday, “a cardinal is condemned” — and it left many questions about what was next for the cardinal and eight other defendants found guilty of colluding to defraud the Vatican of millions of euros.
Vatican judges ordered all of those convicted to pay about $200 million in fines, and their assets, totaling $180 million, will be confiscated. Seven were also given prison sentences totaling 37 years. But it’s not certain how those sentences will be carried out if they hold up on appeal.
For the time being, none of the accused will be arrested and the money will stay put.
The trial, which involved 10 defendants in all, centered on the church’s 2014 purchase of a building in …
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Vatican judges ordered all of those convicted to pay about $200 million in fines, and their assets, totaling $180 million, will be confiscated. Seven were also given prison sentences totaling 37 years. But it’s not certain how those sentences will be carried out if they hold up on appeal.
For the time being, none of the accused will be arrested and the money will stay put.
The trial, which involved 10 defendants in all, centered on the church’s 2014 purchase of a building in …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]