Money, lies, luxury: Vatican grapples with financial whodunnit

{ ‘TRIAL OF THE CENTURY’

- Agencies

The Vatican's “trial of the century” had it all: part Dan Brown thriller, part John Grisham legal drama, part lowbrow Shakespeare tragicomedy.

The financial whodunnit about the Holy See’s bungled 350 million Euro investment in a London property was notable for its surreal cast of characters and exposure of Vatican vendettas, espionage and even papal ransom payments to Islamic militants. The appeals trial opening Monday could be just as explosive, AP reported.

The hearings could expose the Vatican's inner workings, including details about Pope Francis’ hands-on role in the affair. That’s because thousands of pages of private text messages among the players recently became public.

The case

The Vatican bought a luxury property in Chelsea, London, which was a former Harrods depository, at a big loss, Reuters reported at the time.