Not even the pope is safe

Joseph Muscat, who is charged with money laundering, fraud, conspiracy, bribery, corruption and criminal association, met Pope Leo. Who made arrangements for the accused to meet his holiness? Who was responsible for embarrassing the pope? Was his holiness informed of the serious crimes with which the man he posed with for photos is charged?

If those arrangements were made by government officials or Frank Zammit, the Ambassador Extraordinary to the Holy See, was there nobody from the local archdiocese to warn his holiness that meeting a man potentially facing an 18-year jail term was not only inappropriate but seriously misguided?

Pope Leo XIV is a fierce anti-corruption warrior. He has strengthened financial oversight, enforced legal actions against misconduct and promoted accountability within the Vatican. He has focused on tightening controls within the Vatican Bank and supported the work of the Vatican’s financial intelligence unit. He has taken high-profile legal actions against even high-ranking cardinals involved in financial improprieties. He certainly would not have taken lightly to being set up to be photographed with a man accused of defrauding an entire nation.

Muscat made the most of his encounter with Pope Leo XIV. He uploaded a photo of himself with his holiness on his various social media pages, no doubt seeking to launder his international reputation of the “artful dodger” of Europe, or the 2019 OCCRP’s Corrupt Person of the Year. Or maybe he was just seeking redemption, expressing his contrition and asking for absolution from the Holy Father.

Pope Leo may have met Muscat in his pastoral role of mercy, reconciliation and outreach to those accused of crimes. But providing Muscat with such an opportunity created a significant public relations challenge. Meeting a former leader facing such serious charges may be perceived as undermining legal proceedings and may be interpreted as an endorsement of Muscat’s claims of innocence.

The Holy See and the pope have faced stinging criticism in the past when they appeared to openly support former leaders accused of serious crimes.

In 1999, human rights activists around the world reacted with shock and incredulity after the Vatican confirmed that it had asked for General Augusto Pinochet, the brutal former Chilean dictator, to be sent home to Chile from the UK where he was being held under armed guard. The Vatican had protested that it had only intervened on humanitarian reasons.

Pinochet was a frail, elderly man by then. Spain had demanded his extradition to face allegations of serious crimes committed during his 17-year rule. Carlos Reyes, the president of Chile Democratico, was “amazed” at the Vatican’s stance. “We are shocked that the pope is supporting Pinochet,” he declared.

Anybody with a hint of respect for the rule of law would be similarly shocked that Pope Leo was put in the embarrassing situation of hosting Muscat, who stands charged with serious crimes and who has up to €30 million of assets frozen.

Chile Democratico and the Families of the Disappeared had written an angry open letter to Pope John Paul II, making the case to put Pinochet on trial. Until then, Pinochet hadn’t even been charged with any crimes. Yet, the two organisations lambasted the Vatican for its position in favour of Pinochet, commenting “such conduct would make the Church an accomplice of the same crimes and responsible for their repetition in the future”. That sentiment feels close to home.

Jospeh Muscat made the most of his encounter with Pope Leo XIV- Kevin Cassar

Pope Leo’s meeting with Muscat during his prosecution for criminal association, corruption, bribery and money laundering sends all the wrong messages. It is a slap in the face to those who have had to battle against powerful forces to ensure that a magisterial inquiry was conducted for the truth to emerge.

Muscat is responsible for the collusion between Steward and senior political officials that brought about the fraudulent deal that robbed an entire nation. That’s not an accusation; it’s a court ruling.

Muscat was responsible for the climate of impunity that paved the way for the brutal assassination of his arch critic Daphne Caruana Galizia. That’s not an allegation; that’s the conclusion of a public inquiry led by three judges.

The decision to allow Muscat to be honoured with an audience with his holiness is an act of vilification of the memory of the slain journalist and an act of utter disrespect to her family.

His holiness should never have been put in that position. Pope Leo should never have been allowed to be exploited by a man facing such serious accusations. Those who put the pope in that position have a lot to answer for. If local Church authorities were aware of plans for Muscat to meet his holiness and did nothing, they bear equal responsibility for their inaction.

Meanwhile, Muscat has lost his court case. The court has ruled that Muscat’s claims that his rights were breached when he was dragged into the Vitals magisterial inquiry, that he should have been given an opportunity to be heard, that he should have been informed and given copies of documents, were all false.

Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti ruled that “no person has the right to ask to be heard or to be given copies of documents in the records of the inquiry”.

Muscat had mounted a vile witch-hunt against the magistrate, even bringing in her father. The court ruled that there was nothing to suggest that the inquiring magistrate was partial in her decisions.

The court dismissed all of Muscat’s requests and, in so doing, rubbished all the lies that Muscat had levelled at the inquiring magistrate. Muscat, with the help of the prime minister and the entire Labour media machine, viciously hounded the magistrate, smearing her with false accusations.

Now the courts have exposed Muscat’s lies and ordered him to pay all the legal costs. No number of photos with Pope Leo will change that. Meeting with his holiness won’t launder reputations.

Kevin Cassar is a professor of surgery.