US EditionVatican’s ‘Trial of the Century’ Resumes After Prosecutors Suffer Embarrassing Setbacks on Appeal
Pope Francis' four secret decrees gave prosecutors unchecked investigative powers, raising legal fairness concerns in the Vatican's London property financial trial, defense lawyers said.
- On Tuesday, the appeals phase resumed after setbacks for the pope's prosecutors in the case against Cardinal Angelo Becciu and eight other defendants convicted in 2023.
- Following the Court of Cassation's decision last month, prosecutor Alessandro Diddi committed an embarrassing procedural error and resigned, and the court upheld the appeal dismissal.
- Four secret executive decrees signed 2019–2020 by Pope Francis gave Vatican prosecutors unchecked wiretapping powers and the right to deviate from laws, which defense attorneys said violated the right to a fair trial.
- With the Cassation and tribunal rulings in place, the appeals pivot to new defense arguments focusing on Francis' role, as judges ruled no violation of legality occurred since he made the laws.
- The stakes extend beyond verdicts to the Holy See's legal order, as a ruling against Francis' decrees could result in a mistrial or declaration of nullity, given canon law's stance that only God can judge the pope.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Francis' actions scrutinized as Vatican appeals court reviews finance trial
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — As the Vatican’s highest appeals court reviews the landmark finance trial, defense lawyers are increasingly focusing on an uncomfortable question: the legality of actions taken by Pope Francis during the investigation.
The officer GDF investigated for the files would spy on the protagonists of the trial for the funds of the Holy See
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
Pope Francis' problematic secret decrees in spotlight in Vatican's 'trial of the century'
Defense lawyers in the Vatican’s “trial of the century” argued Tuesday that Pope Francis inadvertently violated the fundamental rights of their clients by issuing four secret decrees that gave prosecutors “surreal carte blanche” to investigate in ways reminiscent of a “fascist” state where laws aren’t published. The tone of argument in the frescoed Vatican tribunal was so charged Tuesday, as the appeals trial resumed after a three-month break, t…
Vatican’s ‘trial of the century’ resumes after prosecutors suffer embarrassing setbacks on appeal
The appeals phase of the Vatican’s “trial of the century” resumed Tuesday after a pair of setbacks for the pope’s prosecutors that could have big repercussions on the outcome of the troubled case.
Vatican's 'trial of the century' resumes after prosecutors suffer setbacks on appeal
The appeals phase of the Vatican’s “trial of the century” resumed Tuesday after a pair of setbacks for the pope’s prosecutors that could have big repercussions on the outcome of the troubled case.
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