Cardinal George Pell told Italian journalists that the Vatican lost money in a London real-estate deal because of resistance to the financial reforms he had sought—resistance that was led by the Secretariat of State. The Vatican’s former top financial officer said that if his plan for a thorough audit had gone forward, “we would have saved a lot—a lot of money destined for the London building and also in other places.”

The Australian cardinal said that Cardinal Angelo Becciu—who now faces trial for financial misconduct—refused to allow auditors to enter the Secretariat of State. “We had authority to enter, but they prevented us,” Cardinal Pell said.