In the conclusion of the Vatican’s major corruption trial, legal and security experts believe that none of the six people who were given jail sentences will likely be imprisoned any time soon, with some potentially never seeing jail time. This belief is based on the fact that several, including Cardinal Angelo Becciu and Italian financier Raffaele Mincione, have announced their intention to appeal. It is expected that others will also join them, as all of the defendants have maintained their innocence.
If a new trial were to take place, it would not commence before the end of the following year and would likely last at least another year. Additionally, the court is not expected to release its detailed report explaining the rationale behind its decisions until April. Typically in Vatican cases, individuals awaiting appeals are allowed to remain free unless they have committed violent crimes or pose a flight risk, mirroring Italy’s incarceration procedures.
Cardinal Becciu, the only Vatican citizen among the defendants, resides in an apartment within the city-state, which Pope Francis permitted him to keep after his dismissal in 2020. Becciu has denied accusations of nepotism, which led to his firing, both at the time and during the trial. The pope has already revoked Becciu’s right to participate in a conclave to choose the next pope after the current leader’s death or resignation.
In 2012, the late Pope Benedict pardoned his butler, Paolo Gabriele, who was sentenced to 18 months in jail for leaking sensitive documents. Gabriele spent approximately three months in the Vatican police barracks, which has a few rooms used as cells and is typically used for brief confinement following petty crimes committed on Vatican territory like pickpocketing or vandalism.
As part of the 1929 Lateran Pacts between Italy and the Holy See, individuals convicted in the Vatican can be sent to Italian prisons to serve their sentences, but the reverse typically does not occur due to the Vatican’s status as a sovereign city-state. Therefore, a complex process of international arrest warrants and extraditions would be required for any potential arrests in Italy concerning Vatican-related matters.
In 2021, one of the convicted defendants, Cecilia Marogna, was arrested by Italian police in Milan, pursuant to an international warrant from Vatican prosecutors. She was released after about two weeks and did not participate in any of the trial’s 86 sessions. Another defendant, Gianluigi Torzi, was also arrested and held for about 10 days when he entered the Vatican in 2020 to speak with prosecutors, but he did not attend any trial sessions. Additionally, a London court revoked an earlier order freezing Torzi’s funds in the city, citing “appalling” misinterpretations by Vatican prosecutors.
It is evident that the Vatican’s policies on prisoners are influenced by the Lateran Pacts and are quite distinct from those in Italy. Consequently, it is not guaranteed that the convicted defendants from the Vatican’s recent trial will serve time behind bars, given the complexities surrounding their cases.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Alison Williams)
