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. The rationale: The pope hired Milone and then wanted him out, and the court has no right to judge his decisions. For Vatican prosecutors, that amounted to extortion. The Vatican is the lone absolute monarchy left in Europe, with Francis wielding supreme legislative, executive and judicial power. While he delegates that power on a day-to-day basis, he is still pope and what he says goes.

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Persons: Pope Francis ’, Libero Milone, Francis, “, ”, Milone, Vatican, Gianluigi, Rene Bruelhart, Tommaso Di Ruzza, didn’t, Monsignor Edgar Pena Parra, Torzi, Pena Parra, Bruelhart, Filippo Dinacci, Di Ruzza, Roberto Borgogno, Di Ruzza's, –, Filippo Di Giacomo, Francis ’ Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Vatican, ” Prosecutors, Prosecutors, Islamic, RAI Locations: London, British, Torzi, Britain, Luxembourg, Vatican, Europe