This Monday afternoon, Vatican media announced that the appeal hearing for the case related to the management of Holy See funds, including the conviction of Cardinal Becciu, will be postponed until February 3, 2026. The decision was formalized after the first appeal sessions, which had begun in September 2025.
Read also: Trial in the Vatican: Becciu achieves the recusal of the prosecutor in his appeal
This postponement occurs after the appeal trial was inaugurated in the new Vatican Tribunal Hall, focused on reviewing the convictions handed down in December 2023, when the so-called “trial of the century” culminated with sentences against Becciu and eight other defendants for crimes such as embezzlement, aggravated fraud, and abuse of power.
During the initial hearings, one of the defenses requested the recusal of the Promoter of Justice, Alessandro Diddi, citing his alleged participation in WhatsApp chats with people outside the process, which could compromise his impartiality. The Court of Appeal declared that request admissible and in a recent session rejected the appeal filed by Diddi against the first-instance ruling, considering that it failed to meet the deadlines and forms required by the Vatican Code of Criminal Procedure.
Additionally, in its partial ruling, the court confirmed several of the acquittals handed down in the first instance, making them final for this appeal phase. The procedural confrontations will now focus on the appeals of the convicted to review the penalties, the validity of the evidence, and possible procedural nullities.