VATICAN CITY — A former Vatican diplomat on trial for possession of a large quantity of child pornography has admitted the charges during the first hearing of an expedited trial inside the Vatican.
Monsignor Carlo Capella acknowledged in court Friday to “compulsive acts of improper Internet consultations,” and said it was due to a personal crisis resulting from his transfer to Washington.
Capella was recalled from Washington last year amid investigations into the charges in the United States, Canada and the Vatican. Police in Windsor, Ontario, said Capella uploaded child porn from a social networking site while visiting a place of worship over the 2016 Christmas holiday. Windsor police accused him of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography.
The trial continues today, when a verdict and sentence are likely.
The Vatican has said Capella’s case falls under its jurisdiction because he is a Holy See public official, “albeit abroad.”