Former postulator gets Vatican prison term for slander

A press release from the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints on October 30 stated that Nicola Giampaolo was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment. Giampaolo, a historian from Italy’s Puglia region and a journalist by training, had served as postulator – or a promoter – for the beatification of the late Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro.

The tribunal ruling means Giampaolo has been barred from holding public office for the same duration as his sentence. He must also pay the Vatican’s legal costs and damages totalling €50,000: €20,000 to Fr Bogusław Turek and €15,000 both to Cardinal Angelo Becciu and to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

The case stems from accusations Giampaolo made on RAI’s investigative programme Report, in which he alleged that Church officials had offered him bribes to advance Moro’s cause for sainthood.

The Vatican court ruled that Giampaolo was “colpevole di calunnia”, guilty of slander, against Fr Turek, Cardinal Becciu and the Dicastery itself, concluding that his claims were false and defamatory.

Vatican officials had previously rejected the allegations by Giampaolo. In 2021, Fr Turek publicly denied the charges, and the Dicastery noted that Giampaolo had been removed from his role as Mr Moro’s postulator in April 2018, several months before the supposed incident.

“The alleged financial request could not have been made to Mr Giampaolo in June 2018”, the Dicastery said at the time, “as he was no longer a postulator.” 

There has been no public comment or indication of appeal from Giampaolo.

FULL STORY

Vatican tribunal convicts historian-journalist of slander against Church officials (Catholic Herald – registration required)