04/01/2021 17:47
Clarín.com
World
Updated 04/01/2021 5:47 PM
Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Holy Thursday in the chapel of Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a former substitute for the Vatican Secretary of State
whom the pontiff dismissed
last
September
due to several financial scandals, sources close to the cardinal informed Efe.
"The pope celebrated Mass in Coena Domini this afternoon at around 5.30 pm in the chapel of the private apartment of His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Becciu, in the Palace of the Holy Office," the sources said.
Francis' gesture is highly symbolic
, since it was the pope himself who on September 24, and by surprise, forced Becciu to resign his post as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the rights of the cardinal for his possible involvement. in various financial scandals and perhaps thinking about a future process.
Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu.
Reuters photo
The pope did not officially celebrate Holy Thursday Mass
at the Vatican or the washing of the feet, as on other occasions.
Becciu is suspected of
embezzlement for sending Vatican funds
to his brother's companies, among other scandals.
Last November, Becciu announced that he had denounced the Italian weekly
"L'Espresso"
for defamation due to various information published about his management of the funds of the Secretary of State, when he served as its substitute between 2011 and 2018.
According to the cardinal,
these are accusations "without absolutely no basis"
and in his lawsuit he requested compensation for what he considers enormous damages suffered by "distortions of reality that have deliberately massacred and distorted" his image "as a man and a priest."
Becciu said then that he will continue to serve the Church and
"will be totally faithful to the Holy Father and His Mission",
but that he will spend all the energy that he has left "in ensuring that the truth is restored through judicial investigations" before adding " and that eventually I will be forced to promote in the criminal process as well. "
The cardinal denied that there had been "transfer of funds from the Secretary of State to the private and personal availability of their relatives" and that "investments have never been made by the Holy See in the activities of the Ángel family business,
related to production of beer or its commercialization
".
Pope Francis and Angelo Becciu in 2018. Photo Reuters
Regarding the case of the funds sent to a woman from Sardinia (Becciu's birthplace) named Cecilia Marogna,
to create a supposed diplomatic network
to defend nunciatures in countries at risk, her lawyer explained that "they refer exclusively to questions institutional ".
Regarding the possible prosecution of Becciu, "L'Espresso" and the newspaper "Domani" assured last January that the Vatican Prosecutor's Office is investigating him for embezzlement.
Source: EFE
PB
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