The Vatican Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Nicola Giampaolo for the crime of slander committed against Cardinal Angelo Becciu and the undersecretary of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Father Turek.
On October 29, 2025, the Vatican Tribunal sentenced the defendant to three years and six months in prison, in addition to the obligation to pay damages to the civil parties, including Cardinal Becciu. The sentence was appealed by the defendant, and this morning the Court upheld the first-instance conviction.
The story began with a report aired during the programme Report in which Nicola Giampaolo was interviewed about alleged requests for money to facilitate the beatification causes and in particular that relating to Aldo Moro , which had however been stopped by the statesman's own family.
The cardinal's defense attorney, Fabio Viglione, who joined the civil action seeking and obtaining compensation for damages, commented: "Cardinal Becciu has suffered greatly from these fanciful accusations. Today's ruling clearly captures their slanderous nature , as fully established by the first-instance ruling, which was today fully upheld by the appeal judges with respect to these facts. This ruling puts an end to a paradoxical affair in which Cardinal Becciu was unjustly dragged into, becoming the target of serious slander."
(Unioneonline)
