Please enable JavaScript to access this page.
Business News

The $6 billion Vatican Bank was beset by scandals, disastrous investments—and ties to the Mafia. How Pope Francis tried to fix it

GettyImages 1251437453 e1745267616381
  • Pope Francis died on MondayLeaving behind a heritage of reform at the Vatican Bank of $ 6 billion. Despite its establishment of the clergy and the financial church in 1942, the organization was linked to scandals, secret, secret and disastrous financial deals. During the Francis period, the bank improved transparency and central control over its financial resources to enhance organizational oversight.

Although it was described as Fighting capitalism By some, one of the main achievements of Pope Francis was a financial endeavor: its repair of the Vatican Bank of $ 6 billion.

Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88, sought to reform Bank And the Apostolic Rapin shortly after the Pope becomes in 2013. Although it was created in 1942 with the aim of managing funds for clerics and church organizations all over the world, for years, claiming that the IOR Business Institute (IOR), known as the Vatican Bank, was suffering from money laundering, education, and even the delivery of the mafia. The Vatican Bank was 5.4 billion euros, or 6.1 billion dollars As of 2023.

However, Jorge Mario Bergelio, born in Argentina Mario Berglo, stimulated the changes that helped get rid of corruption and bring more transparency to the work of the internal organization. Thanks to the work that started during the era of Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican Bank started in 2013 Annual reports For the first time ever, its profits, operational costs and charitable giving are determined, among other details.

The bank administration also obtained a renewal, as Francis shrinking in 2014 the strength of cleric members in economic affairs Appointment As the Vatican Bank President, Jean -Babetst de Fransu, a French financier who was the former CEO of INVESCO Euro. De Franso, 61, has worked The President of the Vatican Bank Since 2014.

Pope Francis also sought to increase transparency in the bank, comply with financial regulations and a more stringent implementation outside the supervision during his term. Bank I closed thousands of accounts In 2014 to make the organization comply with international financial standards.

With the implementation of a tougher control of the Holy See, Francis also ordered all Vatican departments to close their investment accounts and send their money to the Vatican Bank. Through the centrality of the Vatican funds, Francis moved away from the financial authority away from the non -advanced clerics and helped create stronger supervision by the financial organizers for its holdings.

Pope Francis’s changes in the Vatican came in response to many scandals, including the collapse of the largest bank in Italy, Panco Ambrosiano, where the Vatican bank had a financial share. Bank President Roberto Calvi was found later hanged Under the BlackFRIRARS bridge in London with a brick pocket as well as thousands in cash. Calvi was accused of stealing millions of mafia. He was Referred To “God’s banker” because of his prayer in the Vatican.

In addition, the Financial Adviser of the Vatican during the era of Pope Paul VI, Michel Sindona, had relationships with organized crime and the Vatican withdrawal to catastrophic investments, including the collapse of Franklin National Bank in the United States in 1974. The time of his deathWho was poisoning cyanide at the age of 65, Sindona was serving a 25 -year prison sentence for fraud.

Despite the efforts of Francis, the Catholic Church is still shaking with some scandals.

Vatican Emphasized in 2022 Two of the former Vatican bank managers were convicted of bad violations in the organization. In 2023, the Cardinal was Heal To five and a half years in prison for embezzlement.

This story was originally shown on Fortune.com


https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GettyImages-1251437453-e1745267616381.jpg?resize=1200,600
2025-04-22 10:52:00

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button