It’s the law of supply and demand: if you show your willingness to pay for something, supplies will increase, in hope of inducing you to do so. If Becciu is telling the truth, the pope has ensured that there will be more jihadi kidnappings.
“Cardinal: Pope OK’d spending 1M euros to free kidnapped nun,” Associated Press, May 5, 2022:
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis authorized spending up to 1 million euros to free a Colombian nun kidnapped by al-Qaida-linked militants in Mali, a cardinal testified Thursday, revealing previously secret papal approval to hire a British security firm to find the nun and secure her freedom.
Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s bombshell testimony could pose serious security implications for the Vatican and Catholic Church, since he provided evidence that the pope was apparently willing to pay ransom to Islamic militants to free a nun, who was eventually let go last year.
Ransom payment are rarely if ever confirmed, precisely to dissuade future kidnappings, and it’s not known how much — if any Vatican money — actually ended up in the hands of the militants. Prosecutors have accused a Becciu co-defendant of embezzling around half the amount on high-end luxury items for herself.
Becciu, who was once one of Francis’ top advisers as the No. 2 in the Vatican secretariat of state, had withheld his testimony from the Vatican tribunal for nearly two years as a matter of state and pontifical secret. But he spoke freely Thursday in his own defense after Francis released him from the confidentiality requirement, providing the most anticipated testimony of the yearlong trial to date….
Becciu said he turned to Marogna for help following the February 2017 kidnapping of a Colombian nun, Sister Gloria Cecilia Narvaez, in Mali. She had been kidnapped by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which has bankrolled its insurgency by kidnapping Westerners. During her captivity, the group periodically showed Narvaez on video asking for the Vatican’s help.
Becciu said he had heard from the Vatican’s nuncio in Colombia as well as other sisters from the nun’s religious order asking for help. He said he brought the matter to Francis as well as Marogna, who he said advised him that she could work with a British intelligence firm, The Inkerman Group, to secure the nun’s release.
Becciu testified that Francis authorized him to proceed with the Inkerman operation, and forbade him from telling anyone else about it, including the Vatican’s own police chief. Francis was concerned about the security and reputational implications if the news leaked, Becciu said….
Vatican prosecutors say they have evidence that the secretariat of state, in addition to the transfer of 575,000 euros sent to Marogna’s Slovenian accounts, sent an equivalent amount directly to a British bank account held by Inkerman….
somehistory says
And yet, the same ‘pope’ tells the rest of us to be nice and welcoming to mozlums everywhere.
raja says
Somehistory,
Something must be seriously wrong with the imam pope. He is either presuming that everyone in the world is a fool or he is hoping that he can fool the entire world. It would take a thorough bred crook to pretend that all is well with his jihadi brethren viz a viz his sheep, especially when his entire attire is on fire.
somehistory says
If he had trouble speaking as biden does, we could say he’s in dementia. but, since he usually has no trouble telling his lies, we can say he’s demented in a different way…foolish to the ultimate degree.
Rufolino says
Foolish and stunningly ignorant. The most incompetent Pope there has ever been. Not to mention shamefully neglectful of his suffering flock.
CogitoErgoSum says
I would advise Pope France that next time this happens to offer the kidnappers himself in exchange for the freeing of the hostage or hostages. If the kidnappers refused he would still look good. If they accepted he could assure himself he has a place in Heaven should the kidnappers decide to kill him … or if they release him he would know how much he’s worth to people. It’s a win-win-win.
raja says
CogitoErgosum,
Hilarity apart, this man dishes out doctrine of demons which Christ never commanded or even envisaged. He is just pushing the Marxist, globalist agenda with absolutely no concern for the cause of Christ.
CogitoErgoSum says
Yes, there is almost no chance the Pope but would ever do such a thing … but hope is a virtue.
somehistory says
I agree, raja. He is no Christian…we can tell by the “fruit” he produces…all of it rotten.
raja says
Somehistory and CogitoErgoSum,
Thank you for the replies.
we can tell by the “fruit” he produces…all of it rotten.
So true, the Lord has already laid down the criteria for identifying a Christian.
born saturday says
i take it he is an accomplice to the kidnapping of the nun himself, and takes fun at giving more money to jihad…
am i right, or am i right??? i am right!!!
the pope is just part of the rotten establishment of the west….
some say he is the antichrist indeed….
nevertheless his lust for islam has been expressed multiple times……….
somehistory says
the pope has certainly been a vocal advocate of mozlums everywhere, so his guilt is readily apparent.
gravenimage says
I am *no* fan of the current pontiff, but claiming that he is kidnapping nuns with Jihadists is just ridiculous.
The truth is damning enough.
tim gallagher says
It is an extraordinary amount of money and these Muslim scum will no doubt use it to do plenty of damage. This Pope is the man who says that islam is basically peaceful. Maybe incidents like this might eventually wake him up. I expect that’ll never happen. He, like so many other fools, will merely say that Islam and Muslims are almost all peaceful but these jihadi types are just a tiny minority of Muslims. They just keep on having their Pollyanna type of view of islam for reasons I can’t comprehend.
John says
The Pope said that Islam and Christianity worship the same God. This is beyond wrong. He is either a total ignoramus about Islam or is dangerously insane. All Islamic texts, the actions of Mohamed and the 1400 year history of Muslim behavior are overwhelming undeniable proof that Islam is a made up religion and it is not connected to the God that Jesus followed. Francis is lying and insane or just severely mentally impaired. It is impossible for a Pope to be that ignorant!
gravenimage says
Cardinal says Pope Francis authorized spending $1,057,300 to free nun kidnapped by jihadis
…………..
Not sure what to say–I can understand people paying ransom to rescue loved ones even though it encourages more kidnapping.
In the same way, I understand groups that “buy” slaves from Jihadists in order to free them.
I also understand those who say no to these demands.
There is no good moral answer here.
But what makes *no* sense is that Pope Francis regularly whitewashes Islam–the same creed behind the kidnapping of this poor nun. Whatever happens, I hope she returns safely.