Pope Francis has authorized spending up to 1 million euros to free a Colombian nun kidnapped by al-Qaeda-linked gunmen in Mali, a cardinal said, revealing a secret papal approval of a British security firm to find and secure her release.
Cardinal Angelo Piccio’s sudden testimony might have serious security consequences for the Vatican and the Catholic Church, as it provides evidence that the Pope is likely willing to pay a ransom to Islamist militants for the release of a nun.
Ransom payments are rarely or never announced, especially to prevent future kidnappings, and it is not known how much money the Vatican might have paid to militants, or whether it paid in the first place.
Cardinal Angelo Piccio had refrained for two years from testifying at the trial, as it contained a papal secret and a state order.
But he spoke freely Thursday in his own defense following Francis removed him from the confidentiality clause, providing long-awaited testimony in the nearly year-old trial.
The Cardinal was once one of Francis’ most prominent advisors, and was ranked second in the Vatican State Department.
Pecchio is one of 10 defendants in a large-scale financial fraud case in the Vatican, which began with the Holy See’s investment of 350 million euros in a London property, and has expanded to cover other alleged crimes.
The prosecution charged other defendants with embezzlement of millions of euros in fees, commissions and bad investments from the Holy See.
The cardinal is accused of embezzlement, abuse of office, and witness tampering, all of which he denies.
His testimony, Thursday, was covered by accusations related to his relationship with an Italian independent intelligence expert, Cecilia Maronia, who is also on trial on embezzlement charges.