VATICAN CITY
Pope Francis authorized spending up to 1 million euros to free a Colombian nun kidnapped by al-Qaida-linked militants in Mali, a cardinal testified Thursday, revealing previously secret papal approval to hire a British security firm to find the nun and secure her freedom.
Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s
bombshell testimony could pose serious security implications for the Vatican
and Catholic Church, since he provided evidence that the pope was apparently
willing to pay ransom to Islamic militants to free a nun, who
was eventually let go last year.
Ransom payment are rarely if
ever confirmed, precisely to dissuade future kidnappings, and it’s not known
how much — if any Vatican money — actually ended up in the hands of the
militants. Prosecutors have accused a Becciu co-defendant of embezzling around
half the amount on high-end luxury items for herself.
Becciu, who was once one of
Francis’ top advisers as the No. 2 in the Vatican secretariat of state, had
withheld his testimony from the Vatican tribunal for nearly two years as a
matter of state and pontifical secret. But he spoke freely Thursday in his own
defense after Francis released him from the confidentiality requirement,
providing the most anticipated testimony of the yearlong trial to date.
Becciu is one of 10 people
accused in the Vatican’s sprawling financial fraud trial, which originated in
the Holy See’s 350-million-euro investment in a London property and expanded to
cover other alleged crimes. Prosecutors have accused the defendants of a host
of crimes for allegedly fleecing the Holy See of millions of euros in fees,
commissions and bad investments.
Becciu, the lone cardinal on trial, is accused of embezzlement, abuse of office and witness tampering, all of which he denies. On Thursday, his testimony covered the charges concerning his relationship with an Italian self-styled intelligence specialist, Cecilia Marogna.
Marogna has told Italian media
that she helped negotiate the release of Catholic hostages in Africa on behalf
of the Holy See. Vatican prosecutors accuse her of embezzling 575 million
euros, citing bank records from her Slovenian holding company that show nine
wire transfers from the Vatican in 2018-2019 for unspecified humanitarian ends,
and expenditures out of the account at Prada, Luis Vuitton and fancy hotels.
Marogna has said the transfers were reimbursements for expenditures and
compensation for her services.
Becciu testified Thursday that
he hired Marogna as an external security consultant, impressed by her grasp of
geopolitical affairs and the trust she enjoyed of two of Italy’s top secret
service officials, Generals Luciano Carta and Gianni Caravelli, who accompanied
her to a meeting with Becciu in the Vatican in October 2017.
Becciu said he turned to
Marogna for help following the February 2017 kidnapping of a Colombian nun,
Sister Gloria Cecilia Narvaez, in Mali. She had been kidnapped by al-Qaida in
the Islamic Maghreb, which has bankrolled its insurgency by kidnapping Westerners.
During her captivity, the group periodically showed Narvaez on video asking for
the Vatican’s help.
Becciu said he had heard from
the Vatican’s nuncio in Colombia as well as other sisters from the nun’s
religious order asking for help. He said he brought the matter to Francis as
well as Marogna, who he said advised him that she could work with a British
intelligence firm, The Inkerman Group, to secure the nun’s release.
Becciu testified that Francis
authorized him to proceed with the Inkerman operation, and forbade him from
telling anyone else about it, including the Vatican’s own police chief. Francis
was concerned about the security and reputational implications if the news
leaked, Becciu said.
Becciu said he and Marogna met
with Inkerman officials at their London office in mid-January 2018.
Inkerman officials said there
were no assurances of success and that the total expenditure could reach 1
million euros, Becciu said. Because the Vatican wanted to remain external to
any operation, Marogna became the key intermediary and the one to receive
periodic payments from the Vatican secretariat of state for the operation,
Becciu testified.
Becciu said he provided
Francis a preliminary oral readout of the London meeting on Jan. 15, 2018,
while the pope was en route to Peru.
“He listened to me and
confirmed my intention to proceed,” Becciu testified. “In a subsequent meeting
with the Holy Father, once in Rome, I spoke to him in more detail about the
conversation we had with the Inkermans and the sum that we should have
estimated in broad terms: about 1 million euros, part to pay for the creation
of a network of contacts, and part for the effective liberation of the nun.”
“I pointed out that we
shouldn’t have gone beyond that figure. He approved. I must say that every step
of this operation was agreed with the Holy Father,” Becciu testified.
Narvaez was released in
October, 2021, after more than four years in captivity. Soon after, she met
with Francis at the Vatican.
Vatican prosecutors say they
have evidence that the secretariat of state, in addition to the transfer of
575,000 euros sent to Marogna’s Slovenian accounts, sent an equivalent amount
directly to a British bank account held by Inkerman.
Becciu also responded to
claims against him concerning Cardinal George Pell, who left his job as the
Vatican’s financial czar in 2017 to face historic sex abuse charges in his
native Australia, for which he was ultimately acquitted. Pell clashed
repeatedly with Becciu during his time at the Vatican and has repeated Italian
media claims that Becciu approved money transfers from the Vatican to Australia
that in some way aided in the sex abuse prosecution against him.
Becciu on Thursday produced
two letters to refute the claims: One from the current secretary of state,
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, explaining that the 1.46 million euros that was wired
to Australia was to pay for a domain name “catholic.” And the other, a Sept.
11, 2015 letter authorizing that expenditure, signed by none other than Pell. -
AP
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