I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
Psalm 37:5
"Honduran Cdl. Óscar Maradiaga, head of Pope Francis' group of cardinal-advisors, was forced to flee a mob at Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa on Thursday, fearing for his life.
Speaking to sources in Honduras, journalist Edward Pentin tweeted that Maradiaga, nicknamed the "Vice Pope" owing to his close relationship with Francis, was evacuated from an outbound plane, making his escape out a back airport entrance and across a runway, owing to "danger of lynching."
The cardinal has been hounded by suspicion of financial corruption. In 2017, the Vatican launched an inquiry into allegations of financial misconduct against Maradiaga, including large sums received from the Honduran government through a Church-controlled agency.
Jorge Pedro Casaretto, the papal envoy in charge of the investigation, issued a report revealing that Maradiaga was paid approximately $42,000 a month from the Catholic University of Tegucigalpa, where he is Grand Chancellor, with a bonus of $64,200, raking in a total of $600,000 in salary in 2015 alone.
The cardinal claimed the entire sum was directed toward the diocese, but records showed no entries from the University of Tegucigalpa in diocesan funds.
Dovetailing the Vatican investigation, a Honduran court launched an investigation into a government donation of millions of dollars to the Foundation for Education and Social Communication, which Maradiaga controls, as well as enormous amounts of money streaming through the Suyapa Foundation, which controls the Tegucigalpa diocesan newspaper and television operations — also under Maradiaga's supervision.
Maradiaga has also been accused of sheltering a gay bishop guilty of financial misconduct, now removed from his post.
In 2018, Martha Alegría Reichmann, widow of the former head of the Vatican Diplomatic Corps — and a friend of Maradiaga for decades — blamed the cardinal for the loss of her life savings, after he directed her husband to invest a large sum of money with London-based fund manager, Youssry Henien, in 2012.
"It's a shame my husband and I welcomed Maradiaga into our home for 40 years, and he has repaid us in this way. He betrayed us; he destroyed us," she added.
Reichmann also accused the cardinal of shielding his auxiliary bishop, Juan Pineda, an accused homosexual predator, from scrutiny.
"Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga knows everything his right hand does, Auxiliary Bishop Juan Pineda, but he has always covered and protected him," she said. "He does whatever it takes to rescue him. ... He has been doing it for almost 20 years."
ChurchMilitant
Psalm 37:5
"Honduran Cdl. Óscar Maradiaga, head of Pope Francis' group of cardinal-advisors, was forced to flee a mob at Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa on Thursday, fearing for his life.
Speaking to sources in Honduras, journalist Edward Pentin tweeted that Maradiaga, nicknamed the "Vice Pope" owing to his close relationship with Francis, was evacuated from an outbound plane, making his escape out a back airport entrance and across a runway, owing to "danger of lynching."
The cardinal has been hounded by suspicion of financial corruption. In 2017, the Vatican launched an inquiry into allegations of financial misconduct against Maradiaga, including large sums received from the Honduran government through a Church-controlled agency.
Jorge Pedro Casaretto, the papal envoy in charge of the investigation, issued a report revealing that Maradiaga was paid approximately $42,000 a month from the Catholic University of Tegucigalpa, where he is Grand Chancellor, with a bonus of $64,200, raking in a total of $600,000 in salary in 2015 alone.
The cardinal claimed the entire sum was directed toward the diocese, but records showed no entries from the University of Tegucigalpa in diocesan funds.
Dovetailing the Vatican investigation, a Honduran court launched an investigation into a government donation of millions of dollars to the Foundation for Education and Social Communication, which Maradiaga controls, as well as enormous amounts of money streaming through the Suyapa Foundation, which controls the Tegucigalpa diocesan newspaper and television operations — also under Maradiaga's supervision.
Maradiaga has also been accused of sheltering a gay bishop guilty of financial misconduct, now removed from his post.
In 2018, Martha Alegría Reichmann, widow of the former head of the Vatican Diplomatic Corps — and a friend of Maradiaga for decades — blamed the cardinal for the loss of her life savings, after he directed her husband to invest a large sum of money with London-based fund manager, Youssry Henien, in 2012.
"It's a shame my husband and I welcomed Maradiaga into our home for 40 years, and he has repaid us in this way. He betrayed us; he destroyed us," she added.
Reichmann also accused the cardinal of shielding his auxiliary bishop, Juan Pineda, an accused homosexual predator, from scrutiny.
"Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga knows everything his right hand does, Auxiliary Bishop Juan Pineda, but he has always covered and protected him," she said. "He does whatever it takes to rescue him. ... He has been doing it for almost 20 years."
ChurchMilitant