Once a year Catholics are asked to contribute to a collection known as Peter’s Pence. They do so on the understanding that their donations will go directly to the Holy Father, enabling him to support charitable works around the world. The money might, for example, help subsistence farmers in Ethiopia, Catholics in war-torn Ukraine or hurricane victims in Haiti. Few would imagine that their hard-earned money might be spent on converting a property into luxury apartments in one of London’s most exclusive areas. But that is what is alleged to have happened, according to leaked documents published by L’Espresso last Sunday.