The pope's absolute power, and the problems it can cause, are on display in 2 Vatican trials

FILE- Tommaso Di Ruzza, then director of the Vatican Financial Information Authority, left, flanked by Rene Brulhart, then president of the AIF, April 28, 2016, during a hearing. Two Vatican trials are coming to a head and posing uncomfortable questions for the Holy See, given they both underscore Pope Francis’ absolute power and the legal, financial and reputational problems that can arise when he wields it. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Two Vatican trials are coming to a head this week and posing uncomfortable questions for the Holy See, given they both underscore Pope Francis’ power as an absolute monarch and the legal, financial and reputational problems that can arise when he wields it.

On Wednesday, the Vatican’s former in-house auditor was in court for a hearing in against the Holy See. Libero Milone says Vatican police forced his resignation in 2017 under the threat of arrest, after he was told Francis had “lost faith†in him over his zealous attempts to audit Vatican monsignors.

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