ROME -  Italian commentators expressed shock as details of the wild spending splurges of the former abbot of Montecassino were disclosed Friday. 

 

  Police officers led by General Joseph Bottillo seized assets on Wednesday worth 588,000 euros owned by Pietro Vittorelli, former head of Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino and his brother Massimo, police said.

 

  Vittorelli became an abbot in 2007. In 2012 he had a serious heart attack, and because of health reasons, in 2013 resigned from office. Between 2008 and 2013, Massimo was in charge of the abbey's accounts. In those years, the brothers allegedly had been laundering the abbey's money by passing it through various bank accounts.

 

  The brothers are being investigated for allegedly stealing charity funds collected by the abbey and spending them on extravagant holidays and parties. The 53 year-old former abbot is accused of allegedly spending about 34,000 euros per month on various kind of extravagance including travel, hotels and shopping trips.