A Vatican court on Saturday found Cardinal Angelo Becciu guilty of committing numerous financial crimes, sentencing the Italian to five years and six months in jail at the end of a two-year trial.

Becciu, a former adviser to Pope Francis and once considered a contender to become pope himself one day, is the highest ranking official within the Catholic Church ever to stand trial before the court.

The 75-year-old also became the first cardinal ever to be found guilty of a crime by the Vatican court.

What are the crimes, and will Becciu appeal the decision? 

Becciu was found guilty of financial crimes for his role, along with nine others, in a dubious luxury real estate deal in London in which the Vatican overinvested and lost hundreds of millions of dollars. Becciu was a key player in the Vatican department that oversaw the deal.

An investigation into the scheme uncovered numerous corrupt dealings within the Vatican, leading prosecutors to bring charges for blackmail, money laundering, fraud, corruption, embezzlement and abuse of office.

Vatican prosecutors had pushed the court for a sentence of seven years and three months, as well as a steep fine.

Becciu's defense team said the cardinal will appeal the court's decision.

js/wd (AFP, dpa, Reuters)