In an ongoing case regarding the use of Peter’s Pence donations, lawyers for the U.S. bishops have asserted that parishioners were aware (or at least ought to have been) that their money could be used by the Holy See for any purpose, despite their own advertisement to the contrary. The Peter’s Pence lawsuit was originally … Read more
On November 13, 2002, the members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops legitimately approved complementary legislation for the implementation of canon 1262 of the Code of Canon Law for the dioceses of the United States. The action was granted recognitio by the Congregation for Bishops in accord with article 82 of the Apostolic … Read more
Cardinal Becciu, who has not been placed under investigation, has denied any wrongdoing. The Vatican is considering the sale of a luxury London building embroiled in a financial scandal that drew papal condemnation and a probe into those involved in its purchase seven years ago. Now authorities of the walled city-state within Rome have invited … Read more
Italian authorities announced on Monday that an arrest warrant has been issued for Gianluigi Torzi, who brokered the Vatican’s 2018 purchase of a London property. The Italian court order raises a startling assertion from Vatican authorities: that the Secretariat of State acted outside its legal authority when it invested hundreds of millions of euros of … Read more
A British court has handed the Vatican a major defeat in a case linked to a property transaction in London with Church funds, in a ruling that revealed some of the Holy See’s inner workings and found it had made “appalling” misrepresentations. The Crown Court in Southwark revoked an earlier order that had frozen funds … Read more
Attached is the transcript of the Motion Hearing held on January 28, 2021 in the U.S. District Court of Washington D.C. before the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson.
September 25, 2020 For immediate release Contact: Marc R. Stanley Attorney Marc R. Stanley of Stanley Law Group (Dallas, TX), lead counsel in a class action case against the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, commented today on the sobering news that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the former head … Read more
High-ranking Vatican official Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu has unexpectedly resigned but has revealed he was told to do so by Pope Francis. He said he was suspected of giving Church money to his brothers, and denied any wrongdoing. Cardinal Becciu was a close aide to the Pope and previously had a key job in the … Read more
On behalf of all U.S. donors to Peter’s Pence, Mr. O’Connell filed this proposed class action in January of 2020 in federal court in his home state of Rhode Island. After USCCB objected to that venue, the case was transferred at Mr. O’Connell’s request to Washington, D.C., where USCCB is headquartered. In July, USCCB filed … Read more