1 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: You can listen to the Front on your smart sneaker 2 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: every morning to hear the latest episode. Just say play 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: the news from the Australian. From the Australian, here's what's 4 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: on the front. I'm Kristin Amiot. It's Wednesday, July three. 5 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: The aged care sector is revolting against a government plan 6 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: to impose criminal penalties on dodgy operators. They say the 7 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: labor election promise wasn't recommended by the Royal Commission into 8 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: Aged Care and it could prompt a mass exodus from 9 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: the already struggling sector. That exclusive story is live right 10 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: now at the Australian dot com dot au. The rolls 11 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: Royce of energy generation. That's how businessman Dick Smith describes 12 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: nuclear energy. He says the Albanese government should dump its 13 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: moratorium on nuclear so it doesn't make an enormous mistake. 14 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: A former senior Vatican official has cast suspicion on the 15 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 1: circumstances of Australian Cardinal George Pell. The Holy Sees First 16 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: Order to General says Pell's death is shrouded in mystery 17 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: and he's headed to court to clear his name. As 18 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: the fallout from a historic financial scandal continues, that's today's episode. 19 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: We are in the middle of a war to protect 20 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: the secrets so powerful the def review it could devastate 21 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: the better foundations of mainkind. The da Vinci Code first 22 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: a global bestseller, then a giant blockbuster starring Tom Hanks. 23 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: It's a dark thriller set deep in the internescine warfare 24 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: of the Catholic Church. 25 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 2: Open Life Witness the greatest cover up in human history. 26 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: Murder, Secrets, cryptic Messages. The story follows the fictional Harvard 27 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,839 Speaker 1: professor Robert Langdon as he tries to clear his name 28 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: of a murder brazenly carried out inside the Louver. In 29 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: the process, he calls the accepted history of the Catholic 30 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: Church into question. See The book and the film adaptation 31 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: advanced the idea that Jesus Christ was married to Mary 32 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: Magdalene and they had a child whose descendants still exist today. 33 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: You're seeing all this wals kill for Remember this is 34 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: a work of fiction, but not everyone took it that way. 35 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: Its controversial take on Christianity, as well as alleged inaccuracies 36 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: in its portrayals of European history, art, and even geography, 37 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: meant that Da Vinci Code made enemies all over the planet. 38 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: Both the book and the film were banned in several countries, 39 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: including Egypt, India, Samoa and Thailand, but it drew the 40 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: most criticism from the Vatican, where it was denounced by 41 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: the highest ranking members of the Catholic Church. They called 42 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: for a boycott, saying the Da Vinci Code is full 43 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: of offenses and historical and theological errors. Now a real 44 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 1: life drama is unfolding at the Vatican, and it's got 45 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:30,399 Speaker 1: more twists and turns than a Dan Brown novel. On Wednesday, 46 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: a hearing of appeal will get underway in Rome. It's 47 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: been brought by career accountant Libro Maloney. He alleges he 48 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: was unfairly sacked from his position as the Vatican's first 49 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: ever Order to General, and he's made some stunning claims 50 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: about the circumstances surrounding the death of Australia's highest ranking Catholic. 51 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: Maloney tells a story full of intrigue and drama to 52 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: rival the Da Vinci Code itself, and this time it's real. 53 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,119 Speaker 1: After four rounds of voting, coron Mario Brigoglio was selected 54 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: as the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, succeeding 55 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: Paul Benedict sixteenth. When he was elevated to the papacy 56 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: in twenty thirteen, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bogoglio of Argentina became 57 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: the first non European pope to serve in thirteen hundred years. 58 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: He adopted the name Pope Francis, after Saint Francis of Assisi. 59 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: One of his first tasks in the top job was 60 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: unraveling the Vatican's abundant but tangled finances. He appointed Cardinal 61 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: George pell who'd been called to Rome from Australia a 62 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: little over a decade earlier, to head up three new 63 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: financial institutions and lead sweeping reforms. In addition to a 64 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: multi billion dollar art and antiques collection, the Vatican also 65 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: has a vast property portfolio that brings in profits in 66 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: the millions of dollars every year. The Catholic Church operates 67 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: hundreds of charitable organizations around the world, and it even 68 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: has its own bank. It's called the Institute for the 69 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: Works of Religion, but it's better known as the Vatican Bank. 70 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: When Pope Francis was elected, rumors had been swirling for 71 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: a while the Vatican Bank was a front for nefarious 72 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: activities like money laundering, so balancing the books would be 73 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: no mean feat. About a month after his appointment, pell 74 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: shut down thousands of Vatican Bank accounts and referred more 75 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: than two hundred account holders to the authorities. It was 76 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: a strong start, but after a year in the job, 77 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: Pelle called in reinforcements. He hired Libro Maloney as an 78 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: independent orditor General and brought in forensic accountant Ferruccio Pinicco 79 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: to tease their way through tomes of financial documents with 80 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: a fine tooth comb. They worked at it solidly for 81 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: three years until twenty seventeen, when things took a dramatic 82 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: and unexpected turn. In a scene befitting an action film, 83 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: the officers used by Maloney and Pinicico were raided by 84 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: Vatican police. Computers and phones were gathered up and whisked 85 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: from the premises. Filing cabinets and safes were cracked open 86 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: with crowbars, sledgehammers, and power drills. The two accountants were 87 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: interrogated by the Vatican Police for hours and ultimately forced 88 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 1: to resign then and there. It was the softer alternative 89 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: to criminal prosecution for alleged spying on the Holy See. 90 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 3: Three months ago, this official communication announced that the Holy 91 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 3: Seas editor General resigned in agreement with the Vatican, without 92 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 3: giving more details. 93 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: Three months after the raid, Libra and Maloney called a 94 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: press conference where he alleged his dismissal was an attempt 95 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: to sabotage the audit and that it was an inside job. 96 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: The Vatican's top cop Domenico Giani, clapped back, saying there 97 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: was overwhelming evidence against Maloney and Pinicico, but it's never 98 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: been produced and that brings us to the lawsuit. In 99 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: late twenty twenty two, five years after the accountants were 100 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: booted from the Vatican, they filed a lawsuit in which 101 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: they sought compensation totaling nine million euros for breach of contract, 102 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: loss of earnings, reputational damage, and hardship suffered by them 103 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: and their families. Pernico died from prostate cancer last year, 104 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: shortly after issuing an impassioned plea to the Vatican to 105 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:25,239 Speaker 1: clear his name. In January of this year, a Vatican 106 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: tribunal declined to hear Maloney and Panicico's case. It said 107 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: Cardinal Angelo Bechiu and Gianni weren't acting as representatives of 108 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,679 Speaker 1: the Holy See when they forced the accountants to resign. 109 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: To add insult to injury, the tribunal ordered Maloney and 110 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: Ponico to pay legal fees in the amount of one 111 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: hundred and ten thousand euros. But these are forensic accountants, 112 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: and Maloney had one move left. He filed an appeal, 113 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: saying senior Vatican officials, including Bechu, got rid of them 114 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: because they were getting too close to the truth. And 115 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: it's today in the Eternal City that this curious, dramatic 116 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: saga enters its next stage when the appeal hearing gets underway. 117 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: But wait, there's more coming up after the break. How 118 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: a controversial cardinal's death fits into this puzzle. Our subscribers 119 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: get first access to this kind of in depth reporting 120 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: every day. Join us at the Australian dot com dot 121 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: au and we'll be back after this break. Within days 122 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: of a dramatic raid by Vatican police on the offices 123 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: of independent financial auditors, the Australian Cardinal George Pell who 124 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: was heading up the operation, was charged with historic sexual 125 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: assault offenses by Victorian police. In August of the following year, 126 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. In the first of two trials ended in 127 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: a hung jury. On the second go round, in December, 128 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: Pell was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison. 129 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 4: It's news that will send shockwaves throughout the Roman Catholic Church. 130 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 4: Cardinal George Pell, Vatican Treasurer, found guilty of child sex abuse. 131 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 4: The verdict came down in December, but legal restrictions meant 132 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 4: it couldn't be reported in Australia. 133 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: A bit over a year into his time in solitary 134 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: confinement at the Melbourne Assessment Center, the High Court upheld 135 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: his conviction appeal. 136 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 3: This is George Pell, Australia's most senior Catholic and today 137 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 3: a man who woke up as a convicted sex offender. 138 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 3: But now his name has been cleared by Australia's highest 139 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 3: legal avenue, the High Court. 140 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: Then in September of twenty twenty, Cardinal Pell returned to Rome, 141 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: where his deputies, Liberal Maloney and Ferruccio Pinico were waging 142 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: a legal battle to clear their names. Maloney said Pell 143 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: was publicly supportive of their pursuit of justice and believed 144 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: they were entitled to compensation because they were just doing 145 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: their jobs. Three years later, Pell died. 146 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 4: Cardinal George Pell has died after complications from a hip 147 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 4: replacement surgery. He was eighty one years old. 148 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: His funeral was presided over by Pope Francis at Saint 149 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,719 Speaker 1: Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, with fifty cardinals in attendance. 150 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: Among them was Angelo Bety, the cardinal who would later 151 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: be convicted of financial crimes. Pell made a powerful enemy 152 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 1: in bet You when he started digging into the Vatican's finances, 153 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: and that's what makes this next bid so intriguing. Bet 154 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: You offered up a prayer of forgiveness for Pell, who 155 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: he alleged had perpetuated slanderous suspicion that I was the 156 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:01,839 Speaker 1: one who conspired against him dodge. Pell's Roman funeral also 157 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: raised eyebrows for another reason. Traditionally, cardinal's coffins are left 158 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: open so mourners can offer a kiss or a touch 159 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 1: as they pay their respects, but the Australian cardinal's casket 160 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: was closed, prompting rumours that his body had been disfigured 161 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: by an autopsy or incorrectly dressed for a church official 162 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: of his rank. But Libro Maloney, the last man standing 163 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: in the doomed financial audit believes something much darker. In 164 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: a seventeen page statement released on Monday in the run 165 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: up to the appeal hearing, Maloney alleged Cardinal George Pell's 166 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: death is shrouded in mystery and revealed he made a 167 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 1: heartfelt vow that he would seek out the truth while 168 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 1: visiting Pell's coffin at Saint Peter's. The Australian cardinal was 169 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: buried at Saint Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, following a second 170 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: funeral in twenty twenty three. 171 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 2: Oh God, who chose your servant, Cardinal George Pell from 172 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 2: among your priests and a doubt him with pontifical dignity 173 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 2: in the Apostolic priesthood grant, we pray that he may 174 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 2: be admitted to their company forever through our Lord Jesus Christ, 175 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 2: your son who lives and reigns with you. 176 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: If you can believe it, this is just the cliffs 177 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,199 Speaker 1: notes of this twisty Vatican saga. You can read Power 178 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: Tataro's in depth reporting, as well as a detailed timeline 179 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 1: and breakdown of the key players right now at The 180 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: Australian dot com dot Au