Pope to jurists: Respect basic human rights
ROME – Pope Francis told Catholic jurists on Friday that they must strongly defend basic human rights in their work, even as his own prosecutors stand accused of violating the basic rights of the defense in a big Vatican fraud trial.
In a meeting with Italian Catholic jurists, Francis said recognizing and protecting the rights of the weakest in a court setting doesn’t stem from a governing concession, but from recognition of the dignity that every human being enjoys.
“The respect of the person and human rights, especially on the continent that doesn’t hesitate to promote them to the world, must always be safeguarded, and the dignity of everyone placed before everything,” Francis said, citing his own speech a few days ago to migrants in Greece.
Francis’ comments, and before him those of the Vatican secretary of state, focused on protecting the rights of the poor, the sick and the weak in legal settings. But they came as the Vatican trial of 10 people, including a cardinal, is poised to resume next week amid fresh defense arguments that Vatican City’s prosecutors violated basic rights of the defendants.
The trial concerns the Vatican’s investment of 350 million euros in a London property deal. Prosecutors accuse some Vatican officials and Italian businessmen of fleecing the Holy See and of extorting 15 million euros from it to get control of the property. Francis’ role in the deal has come under scrutiny since several witnesses have said he approved negotiating an exit deal with the businessman accused of extortion.