Cardinal in 30 million euro 'cover-up'

ROME – “Let’s not tell the Pope,” Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi was quoted as saying in a wiretapped conversation brought to light Friday, in the cover-up of 30 million euros that were to be used secretly to acquire the IDI hospital company.

  In his conversation, dating back to February 26, 2014, with then President of the Bambino Gesù children's hospital in Rome, Cardinal Versaldi was quoted by Italian media referring to 30 million euros stemming from public coffers and that were destined for the Vatican-managed Bambino Gesù hospital, which they wanted instead to use to acquire the IDI hospital.

  Cardinal Versaldi, the then papal delegate for the Congregazione dei Figli dell’Immacolata and then President of the Holy See’s prefecture of economic affairs, is now under the limelight following the wiretapped conversation uncovered in the wider investigations into the Puglian Divina Provvidenza nursing home scandal, for which Senator Antonio Azzollini is being investigated.

  Versaldi, however, is not currently under investigation.

  Meanwhile, the Bambino Gesù hospital has made a statement categorically denying that funds from its own budget, or public funds, were to be used for the acquisition of the IDI hospital company. “Not even one euro of the hospital’s money has been taken away from funding clinical, research, or organisational activities that regard the hospital and its patients,” new President Mariella Enoc has said.