(Este artículo también se encuentra en español)
The "trial of the century" in the Vatican comes to an end with the conviction of Italian cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu to five and a half years in prison for his involvement in a financial scandal involving a multimillion-dollar investment in a luxury property in London.
This verdict marks a milestone by making Becciu the first cardinal to be found guilty and sentenced by a Vatican court.
The revelations from this two-and-a-half-year trial have uncovered a series of financial malpractices that have cost millions of dollars to the Holy See.
Cardinal Becciu, 75, who held a powerful position in the Vatican, was convicted for his role in the multimillion-dollar investment in a property in London.
The court determined that the investment, aimed at converting an old warehouse into luxury apartments, involved embezzlement of funds and questionable financial practices.
In addition to the prison sentence, Becciu faces a lifetime ban from holding public office and has been fined.
This verdict represents a crucial challenge for Pope Francis in his effort to introduce transparency in Vatican finances.
To ensure Becciu was brought to trial, Pope Francis had to amend Church law, thus allowing bishops and cardinals to be brought before Vatican courts, thereby revoking their procedural immunity.
At the heart of the trial was the 350 million euro investment made by the Vatican's Secretariat of State in the London property, which resulted in significant losses for the Holy See.
Becciu was accused of participating in embezzlement by approving Church payments for personal purposes, including a security consultancy and a charity run by his brother.
The verdict also affected other defendants in the case, including Cecilia Marogna, a security advisor, who was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for embezzlement related to the release of a kidnapped nun.
Two Italian financiers based in London, Raffaele Mincione and Gianluigi Torzi, also received prison sentences.
This trial represents an important chapter in Pope Francis's battle to reform Vatican finances and addresses the issue of placing clergy with no financial training at the helm of large portfolios.
