The Vatican has indicted two former officials of the Bambino Gesu Hospital on embezzlement charges. The indictment is the first brought by Vatican prosecutors under new rules designed to promote transparency and accountability in Vatican financial transactions. The Vatican has been under pressure from European banking authorities to prosecute violations of these rules.
Giuseppe Profiti and Massimo Spina—who were the president and treasurer, respectively, of the Bambino Gesu Foundation— were summoned to appear before a Vatican tribunal for a July 18 hearing on the charges. Although the summons was issued on June 16, the indictment was announced on July 13. The two former officials of the foundation connected with the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesu Hospital are charged with improperly spending more than €400,000 in foundation funds on the renovation of an apartment owned by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. In the past, Profiti has said that the expenses were justified because the cardinal’s apartment was used for the foundation’s fundraising events.
