As the Vatican’s landmark trial over a London property deal and corruption allegations continues, the question of what Pope Francis himself knew has been raised in court by a defendant.
Interviewed Thursday, July 7, 2022, Fabrizio Tirabassi, a former official in the Secretariat of State, said the Pope had given permission to request a loan from the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican Bank.
The money was to be used to pay off the mortgage and take over management of the Sloane Avenue property. Italian businessman Tirabassi is one of ten defendants in this trial, which began in July 2021. And he was not the only one to be heard at the last hearing.
The Broker and His Company
The Vatican prosecutor questioned Nicola Squillace on Friday, July 8, 2022, the lawyer for another businessman, Gianluigi Torzi. Both Squillace and Torzi are charged with misappropriation of funds, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and self-laundering.
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