Cardinal in ‘fraud trial’ secretly taped conversation with Pope Francis; Report

A phone call between Pope Francis and a prominent cardinal who is presently facing a fraud prosecution has reportedly been covertly recorded. It has come to light the Pope was asked to affirm whether he had authorised funds to assist liberate a kidnapped nun in Africa during the call.

The tape, which was made in July 2021 rather than the days leading up to Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s trial, was made public at a hearing on Thursday (November 24). The Italian news outlet Adnkronos afterwards released a transcript of the same. Additionally, the journalists were not permitted to hear the recording.

The recording was allegedly made in a room with Becciu without the Pope’s knowledge, according to testimony given in court. Just days before the trial started, the conversation was covertly recorded. Everything began when Becciu hired Cecilia Marogna, a co-defendant, in 2018. He was the third-highest-ranking official in the Vatican. Marogna was a security analyst, too. Because of the scandal surrounding the Vatican’s costly purchase of a posh London home as well as the theft of church funds, Becciu was forced out of office and stripped of his cardinal privileges in September 2020.

Becciu, along with nine other defendants, went on trial in July of last year while vehemently denying any involvement. He was accused of crimes like extortion, fraud, and money laundering. Cecilia Marogna, a female, is one of the defendants. The $667,000 she got from the Vatican is alleged to have been wasted on her. Allegedly, the funds were offered to help release priests and nuns who were held hostage abroad. As a security advisor, Becciu has retained Marogna.

The translation made available by Italian media reads: ‘Did you or did you not grant me the authorization to commence the procedures to release the nun?’  Furthermore, it noted F’or the 500,000 we had set as the ransom, we said no more since it felt wrong to pay additional money—money that would end up in the hands of the terrorists. Do you recall that I thought I had told you about all of this?’