“Francis wants me dead,” says one cardinal on trial for corruption

The Pope Francisco “He wants me dead”. This is what the Italian cardinal confidently told family and friends Angelo PesiuIt was known that One of the most powerful men in the Vatican Today it is being investigated for damages caused by the Holy See Financial management What did he do?

“He wants me dead”, “I never thought it would come to this”Becciu says in a series Chat In this he discusses with his relatives The charges he faces are related to the sale of a central London building and, in general, for the financial management of the Holy See.

The existence and content of the chats were revealed by the Vatican’s promoter of justice during Wednesday’s hearing and are the result of an investigation by the Oristano Guardia di Finanza. At the request of the Vatican. These contents were published by the newspaper Republic and Corriere della Sera This is the full text of the transcription in their online versions.

“I never thought it would come to this: He wants me dead.”wrote becciu In a message sent to his family member Giovanna Bani on July 22 of last year, two days earlier, with the help of his daughter and Bequie’s niece Maria Luisa Zambrano, Phone conversation with Pope FrancisThe news came out during yesterday’s trial The Vatican.

In the chat the girl boldly calls out to him, “You will see that the truth will prevail”.

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And he replies: “Because now they are the ones who win and overcome us!”, he notes. The righteous will win. Bani later wrote to Becciu: “It’s bad, he wants your decision”refers to “su mannu”, which in Sardinian means “the greatest”, so in all probability Pope Francisco.

The cardinal replied: “He did not want to make a bad image because of the initial sentence he gave me.” Then he asserts: “Not a pope, but (that) I would never have imagined that a man would go so far.”

Bani replied, “It’s a big cowardice, but fight and let the truth shine. It’s hard. We will win completely. Something is rotten at the Vatican”, the woman concluded.

At his best, Besseu was a very influential figure in the VaticanHe amassed so much power that he was not only the Argentine Pope’s trusted adviser on major issues, but also the rock son of the island of Sardinia. He knew the deepest secrets of factions competing for power within the Vatican.

Confronted with accusations of corruption, the Pope He accepted Bequieu’s resignation in what appeared to be a tense meeting. Becciu lost the prefect (equivalent to “minister”) of the Congregation for Saints, known as the Church’s Factory of Saints. Also, the rights related to his cardinal status.

Register. Becciu was recorded without the Pope’s permission during a telephone conversation in which he sought to confirm that he had approved secret financial movements, Italian media reported.

An entry made by Cardinal Angelo Bequieu was prepared on July 24, 2021 Three days before your test starts And when Pope Francisco He had undergone a major colon surgery. The audio has not been made public, but the Vatican revealed its existence at a court hearing on Thursday.

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Becciu, 74, a former adviser close to the pope, remained Deposed in September 2020 and stripped of his cardinal privilegesFollowing a scandal involving a real estate deal in London, in which he claims to be innocent.

A dozen people have appeared at the Vatican Criminal Court since July 2021 on charges of fraud, embezzlement, abuse of power, money laundering, corruption and extortion.

Among them was Cecilia Marogna, an intermediary hired by Peque as a defense consultant and Accused of spending 575 thousand euros The Vatican in hotels and luxury goods.

According to prosecutors, the funds given to Marogna — known as “The Cardinal’s Lady” In the Italian press – it was to help free priests and nuns held hostage abroad.

In his phone conversation with the Pope, Cardinal Begue asked him to confirm that he had approved the release of the funds for the Pope’s release. Detained by a group linked to a Colombian religion Al Qaeda In Mali.

“Did you or did you not authorize me to initiate proceedings to free the nun?” asked Bishop Bechiu. “We have set the ransom at 500 thousand eurosSince it seems immoral to pay more terrorists (…) anymore… I think I told you all this… do you remember?”, he continues.

According to the reprint, published by the Italian newspaper, among others Il Messaggero, The Pope replied that he remembered it “vaguely”..

The Argentine pontiff asked Peque to question him in writing. The court was told that the call was recorded by one of his relatives at Bequieu’s flat.