Vatican Court Convicts Cardinal of Major Financial Crimes

A Vatican cardinal and former advisor to Pope Francis was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison on Saturday.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu was convicted in a trial that lasted two-and-a-half years and involved nine other defendants. Becciu resigned from his high-ranking post within the Catholic Church in 2020, but said he was told to do so by the Pope after an investigation into potential financial crimes was published by Italian news magazine L'Espresso.

Once considered a papal contender, Becciu became the first cardinal ever prosecuted by the Vatican's court, The Associated Press reported.

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