Vatican appeals court declares mistrial in the 'trial of the century' against a cardinal
Source: AP
By NICOLE WINFIELD
Updated 1:59 PM CDT, March 17, 2026
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ROME (AP) — The Vatican appeals tribunal declared a mistrial Tuesday in the Holy See’s big “trial of the century,” a stunning blow to both Pope Francis’ legacy and Vatican prosecutors who had put a cardinal and several other people on trial over alleged financial crimes.
In a 16-page ruling, the appeals court ruled that Francis and Vatican prosecutors both made procedural errors that nullified the original indictment against Cardinal Angelo Becciu and the others and required a new trial. The court set a June 22 as the date for the new trial to begin.
Defense lawyers said such a ruling was significant if not historic, since it amounted to a Vatican court declaring that an act of the pope had no effect.
The ruling was a win for the defense and a huge setback to Vatican prosecutors, who have been scrambling to salvage their case. The prosecution and 2023 convictions against Becciu and others had been held up by the Vatican and late pope as evidence of his willingness to crack down on financial misconduct in the Holy See.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/vatican-trial-of-century-mistrial-cardinal-e82536c82130531f1e1341c047f15682
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In 2020 Cardinal Becciu resigned and lost his privileges as a Cardinal. He was tried in the Vatican Court under Pope Francis and found guilty in December 2023, but today's ruling has overturned that finding. The evidence against Becciu is overwhelming, but apparently some procedural errors were made. Most likely there will be another trial, but the date is undetermined.
Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Angelo_Becciu