Pope Francis’s secret decrees in spotlight in Vatican’s ‘trial of the century’
February 04, 2026
» Continue to this story on AP
CWN Editor's Note: At a February 3 appellate hearing in the Vatican’s “trial of the century,” a defense attorney argued that four secret decrees issued by Pope Francis granted “surreal carte blanche” to prosecutors and that the decrees’ secrecy was reminiscent of a fascist state.
“According to the defendants, those papal decrees undermined the rule of law in the Vatican City state because they were tailored to the individuals involved in the London investment,” RNS reported. Defense attorneys also “reiterated long-standing objections that evidence collected during the investigation was not fully disclosed.”
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