The Vatican has abandoned its extradition request for an Italian woman sought on charges related to financial misconduct connected to a series of scandals that recently have rocked the highest levels of power in the Church.
At the hearing on Monday in an Italian court in Milan, the Vatican said it is not seeking to detain the woman, 39-year-old Cecilia Marogna, suspected of involvement in shady dealings somehow connected to disgraced Cardinal Angelo Becciu and a £200 million Sloane Avenue real estate development in London. That removed the reason for the hearing, which was to evaluate the extradition request.
A statement from the Press Office of the Holy See on Monday said the purpose of the Vatican’s move was to pave the way for Marogna to participate “freely” in the “imminent” proceedings against her in Vatican City court. “Among other things,” the Vatican statement said, “the initiative intends to allow the defendant … to participate in the trial in the Vatican, free from the pending precautionary measure against her.”
The Vatican statement noted that Marogna had “already refused to defend herself by not appearing for questioning before the Italian judicial authority, requested by the Promoter of Justice through a rogatory procedure,” i.e. when one court asks another court in a different jurisdiction to cooperate in an investigation or proceeding.
There is no extradition treaty between Italy and either the Holy See or Vatican City, and Vatican watchers were wondering whether the court might not have ruled against the Vatican’s request on grounds the Vatican could not guarantee Marogna’s right to fair trial – something that would have been only the latest in a series of black eyes for Vatican justice.
Having been unable to sell in churches for well over a year due to the pandemic, we are now inviting readers to support the Herald by investing in our future. We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values.
Please join us on our 130 year mission by supporting us. We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching. For more information from our chairman on contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund, click here
Make a Donation
Processing ...
Donors giving £500 or more will automatically become sponsor patrons of the Herald. This includes two complimentary print/digital gift subscriptions, invitations to Patron events, pilgrimages and dinners, and 6 gift subscriptions sent to priests, seminaries, Catholic schools, religious care homes and prison and university chaplaincies. Click here for more information on becoming a Patron Sponsor. Click here for more information about contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund