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A powerful Vatican cardinal accused of diverting funds to help his brothers has said the accusations against him are “surreal.”
Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, 72, told a news conference in Rome that he was ready to “lay down my life for the Pope” after the Vatican announced Thursday night that it said he had resigned and that he both had “renounced the rights associated with being a cardinal.” ”, Including his right to participate in an eventual conclave to elect a pope.
“They accuse me of embezzlement and favoring [my] brothers, surreal, ”Becciu told reporters. “I have not enriched my family. “I hope the Pope realizes that it is all a misunderstanding.”
He said he was “ready to sue” and “ready to clarify with my lawyers, I am a normal citizen.”
The Vatican did not give a reason for Becciu’s resignation, but it came before the publication of an investigation by the Italian weekly L’Espresso alleging that he had given at least 600,000 euros (550,000 pounds) to a cooperative. charity run by one. of his brothers in Sardinia.
Becciu, who until 2018 was undersecretary of state, one of the Vatican’s most powerful positions, was also embroiled in a controversial deal in which the secretariat used church money to buy a luxury building in London as an investment.
Giving up the right to participate in an enclave that elects the next pope suggests that the grounds for a resignation or firing are serious. The last time this happened was in 2018 when American Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was charged with the sexual abuse of minors.
The Vatican has yet to respond to a request from The Guardian for an explanation behind his brief statement, but Becciu told the Rome-based newspaper Il Messaggero that he was asked to step aside.
“I’m shocked. Worried,” he said.[This is] a blow to me, my family and the people of my country. In a spirit of obedience and out of love for the Church and the Pope, I accepted her request to step aside. But I am innocent and I will prove it. I ask the Holy Father for the right to defend me ”.
The investigation into the London property deal led to the suspension last year of five Vatican employees, the resignation of their police chief and the departure of the former head of its financial reporting authority. Becciu has defended the investment, saying it was consistent with standard practice and has not lost money to the Vatican. He has insisted that he always acted in the exclusive interest of the Holy See.
According to Il Messaggero, Pope Francis’ move was not based on the treatment of the property, but on evidence that Becciu allegedly misappropriated funds related to the transfer of 100,000 euros to the charity, which helps refugees, led by his brother in his diocese in Ozieri. Sardinia. The newspaper reported that the money was still in the bank account of the charity.
“The most troublesome thing about the whole thing is that there is no transparency,” said Robert Mickens, Rome-based editor of the English edition of the Catholic daily La Croix.
“Again, this is very typical when a bishop is fired and that is what happened here. They fired an official and continue to use these euphemisms and silly puns like “he gave up his resignation” No one renounces being a cardinal. It’s the pinnacle of ecclesiastical career, no one is just going to give it up. “
Mickens added: “The Vatican probably wanted to get ahead of the curve in the L’Espresso article, and I hope they say something. [more] since they just open up to other people to establish the narrative. “
