Vatican, Becciu writes to Pell: “He knows the pains and sufferings of unjust accusations, no more provocations”

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, accused in the trial for the financial scandal linked to the sale of the London building in Sloane Avenue, writes to Cardinal George Pell, already his tenacious opponent in the curia, on the eve of the Christmas holidays asking him to leave aside the provocations. “Most Reverend Eminence – writes Cardinal Becciu in an open letter made known by his lawyer Fabio Viglione – the imminence of Christmas calls everyone to high sentiments and, especially to us believers, to be credible witnesses of the message of fraternity that comes from the hut of Bethlehem. By virtue of these convictions, I take the initiative to write to you in this public form. Believe me, I do it by forcing all my contrary will, because now forced by your numerous interventions in many media that have repeatedly concerned , unfortunately, my person, with arguments that I felt offensive to my personal dignity and to the ecclesial service that, with enthusiasm, obedience and fidelity, I have tried to offer, over the decades, to the Holy Father and to the Church “. Becciu writes to Pell that he will not respond “to any of your reconstructions, the groundlessness of which is nevertheless manifest: bonds of profound respect for the Holy See that we have represented, as well as the cardinalate dignity we hold, should prevent these public provocations, which are hardly understandable to our faithful and to those who would expect much more attitude from men of the Church. Moreover, I could not enter into the merits of the questions you have repeatedly raised as they are high, demanding and certainly reserved topics. You, more than any other, know and know pains of an unjust accusation and the sufferings that an innocent – which, no less than you, I am – must endure during a trial, to which all my energies are currently devolved, used in my defense and in compliance with the rules by it imposed on me, including respect for the Court. Even this last aspect alone should have encouraged greater confidentiality, certainly not in the expression of your legitimate opinions in the superior interest of the Church and its administration, but on my person and on – I repeat myself – manifestly unfounded accusations, in such a delicate moment of my life experience, which makes it further difficult to defend my reputation “. Precisely for” the absolute respect I have for the Court, strong and alive in me, – reiterates Becciu – I will not answer you publicly, but I will wait for the appropriate moment, before the third and impartial Judge, to reply point by point and to make the Vatican judicial institutions appreciate the absolute groundlessness of the accusations against me. Until then, I trust that this public appeal of mine, extended in any case with a sense of fraternity and ecclesial communion, can better advise you to a different attitude, refraining from further involving me in the public discourse. So much for the respect due to a brother – to a man – engaged in a hard battle which, as a Christian even before being accused, I do not hesitate to define truth and justice “.