Two Ex-Officials of Vatican-Run Hospital Charged With Misusing Money<br />This year, the Vatican announced an investigation into the misuse of 422,000 euros, or about $483,000, after revelations by Emiliano Fittipaldi, an Italian journalist and the author of the book "Greed." The examples of shady Vatican business practices revealed in<br />that book led to a trial of Mr. Fittipaldi and four others on charges of publishing leaked documents.<br />Mr. Profiti, who retired in January 2015, nine months into a new three-year term, acknowledged last year in an interview with the Turin-based daily La Stampa<br />that hospital funds had been used in the apartment renovation, but called it a "strategic" marketing investment because the hospital planned to use the cardinal’s refurbished apartment for fund-raising.<br />The officials — Giuseppe Profiti, the former president of the Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital,<br />and Massimo Spina, its former treasurer — were ordered to stand trial in a Vatican court next Tuesday.<br />By JASON HOROWITZJULY 13, 2017<br />ROME — Two former officials of a Vatican-owned children’s hospital were charged on Thursday with misappropriating nearly half a million dollars<br />for the renovation of the luxurious apartment of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s second in command under Pope Benedict XVI.<br />Cardinal Bertone, who appointed Mr. Profiti, has not been charged in connection with the rerouted hospital funds,<br />and the Vatican has said he is not under investigation.<br />On Thursday evening, Cardinal Bertone’s lawyer, Michele Gentiloni Silveri, responded<br />that the prelate "will abstain from whatever comment or remark as a sign of unconditional respect toward the Vatican Judiciary." This is not the first time recently that an unflattering focus has fallen on the children’s hospital, the so-called pope’s hospital.
