Roberto Lipari, defender of the Institute of Works of Religion (IOR) – improperly called the Vatican “bank” – spoke for more than four hours, recalling that the Pope was normally the only one authorized to decide on the use of the €700 million allocated to the Secretary of State between 2004 and 2020.
It was a right ignored by the defendants who considered the IOR as “a distributor who must always respond positively to their requirements.” Roberto Lipari asked the court for the reimbursement of 206.5 million euros in compensation for the sums “illegally subtracted” from the Holy Father, the “main victim” of the trial. And compensation for damage to reputation, the amount of which, established by an expert report, would amount to €987,494.
On September 28, it was Paola Severino’s turn to plead for the Secretariat of State, describing the Secretariat as a victim of “abuses and deceptions” by the “merchants in the Temple,” claiming it is now forced to undertake a “reputational campaign at rehabilitating the honor tarnished by the crimes committed.”
“It has been written that the First Section had turned into an investment center.… It has been stated that this case is comparable to the worst corruption scandal that led to the suicide of Roberto Calvi.” The tone was immediately set by the lawyer who once held the position of the Italian Minister of Justice.
The proposal for the Falcon Oil deal in Angola; the proposal to purchase through Crédit Lombard a part of the building on Sloane Avenue in London without mentioning other dubious investments: “Whoever finds a friend finds a treasure, in this case, the treasure of the Secretariat of State,” quipped Elisa Scaroina, one of Paola Severino’s collaborators. The lawyers are demanding payment of €177 million for the damage caused to their client.
On September 29, it was the turn of lawyers from the Heritage Administration of the Apostolic See (APSA) and the Financial Supervision and Information Authority (ASIF) to demand justice for their clients: “Parasites? Exploiters? I leave it to the court to decide how to characterize the accused,” declared Giovanni Maria Flick, who for his part requested €270 million in damages.
The requested very heavy financial penalties are added to the penalties requested last July by the Vatican’s promoter of justice, Alessandro Diddi: for Cardinal Becciu, 7 years and 3 months of imprisonment, as well as perpetual ban from public functions. For the former president of the Financial Information Authority, René Brülhart, 3 years and 8 months; 5 years and 4 months for Cardinal Becciu’s former secretary, Msgr. Mauro Carlino.
Nine years and 9 months for the former financial advisor to the Secretariat of State, Enrico Crasso; 4 years and 3 months for the former director of AIF, Tommaso Di Ruzza Fabrizio; 13 years and 3 months for the former employee of the Holy See, Fabrizio Tirabassi; 4 years and 8 months for Cecilia Marogna; 11 years and 5 months for the broker Raffaele Mincione; 7 years and 6 months for the broker Gianluigi Torzi, and 6 years for the latter’s lawyer, Nicola Squillace.
The next meeting is on October 5 for the start of the defense lawyers’ arguments.
The Vatican tribunal hit the ground running on September 27, 28 and 29, 2023, with the resumption of the trial of the century after a well-deserved summer break for the magistrates. On the menu for the 68th, 69th, and 70th hearings: the pleadings of the civil party lawyers.