Francis secretly funds illegal migration, Italian media reports
Italian journalists report hundreds of thousands of the Vatican-donated euros to support the activities of the non-governmental organization Mediterranea Saving Humans.
Investigations published in Italian media suggest that Pope Francis and the head of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Dziuppi, financed illegal migration, according to infovaticana.com.
Panorama and La Verità report that hundreds of thousands of euros were donated by the Vatican to support the activities of the non-governmental organization Mediterranea Saving Humans, whose leader, at the request of Francis, participated in the RCC's "Synod."
The amount in question is around 2 million euros. Interestingly, the Italian judicial system investigated Mediterranea Saving Humans for human trafficking.
According to journalists, since 2019, the Vatican has been involved in the illegal transportation of migrants by sea on the ship Mare Jonio.
According to the investigation, in chats intercepted by the prosecutor's office, high-ranking Catholic prelates began discussing financing migration, which they were supposed to receive from 2021 to 2023.
Despite the initial disagreement of the pope's treasurer, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who did not want to finance "maritime rescue NGOs," money was transferred.
Italian media claim that funding continues to grow, indicating the start of a long-term collaboration between Mediterranea and top Vatican officials.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the pope called migrants "important help" for boosting birth rates.