In the Colosseum of Vatican politics, Cardinals George Pell and Angelo Becciu are gladiators who have waged several brutal battles with each other over financial reforms. In one corner, the towering Australian cardinal, who arrived in Rome determined to clean up Holy See finances, quickly earning the nickname “the Ranger” from Pope Francis thanks to his bullish approach. In the other, the diminutive yet forceful Vatican official from a region in Sardinia known for producing knives. Becciu repeatedly challenged Pell’s strategy of bringing all the Holy See’s financial operations together, using his deep knowledge of the Vatican and its laws to prevent the old guard losing control of their individual pots of money.
Big George’s powers were trimmed by the Pope and his reforms were watered down; then he was forced to return to Australia in 2017 to face serious criminal charges. In December 2018, Pell was convicted on five counts of child sexual abuse. It seemed that the Ranger’s work in Rome had ended in ignominious failure, and Becciu had successfully preserved the status quo. But that all changed last week when the Pope sacked the Italian cardinal after allegations of embezzlement and amid reports he will face trial over a controversial London property deal.
01 October 2020, The Tablet
View from Rome
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