New President of the Vatican Tribunal Appointed

Source: FSSPX News

Venerando Marone

Venerando Marano has been appointed as the new President of the Vatican Tribunal, replacing Giuseppe Pignatone, who resigned last December when he reached the age limit of 75. He had held the position since 2019.

Judge Pignatone notably led the “trial of the century” for the Vatican, which implicated around ten people, including Cardinal Angelo Becciu, and resulted in eight convictions, ranging from simple fines to several years in prison.

Venerando Marano has until now served in the same Tribunal, as Deputy President. He is a full professor of canon law and ecclesiastical law at the University of Tor Vergata in Rome, where he holds the position of Director of the Law Department.

He is notably a member of the steering committee of the Centro Studi sugli Enti ecclesiastici della Cattolica and the author of numerous publications on ecclesiastical law. He assisted Judge Pignatone during the trial of the century and was thus able to acquire a solid knowledge of the case.

This knowledge will not be superfluous, because various consequences of this trial are looming: appeals by various convicted parties, also appeals by the Promoter of Justice – the equivalent of the Prosecutor – against certain sentences deemed too lenient, or to initiate the trial of persons spared until now.

Finally, some of the convicted persons have declared that they want to bring a trial in the Vatican before other jurisdictions – notably in England – for various reasons, but these cases could weaken the prosecution. However, for the moment it seems that none of these actions have been brought.

Judge Marano’s appointment took effect on January 1, 2025.