The members of the board of the Financial Information Authority (AIF), the Vatican’s financial watchdog, hailed all from Italy. Taking a decision which shows his wish to give the Holy See an international profile, Pope Francis replaced them all with international experts held in high regard. Among them, there is just one Italian, [...]
Those who expected Pope Francis to devolve the structure of both Vatican City State and the Holy See were probably disappointed. Yes, Pope Francis underlined repeatedly that «structures are important, but up to a certain point. » On the other hand, Pope Francis is also keenly aware that Vatican City State is «that [...]
The Vatileaks case does not come to an end with the trial of Paolo Gabriele, the Pope’s butler charged with aggravated theft, convicted of stealing the pontiff’s private documents and leaking them to a journalist, and sentenced to 18 months in prison (but a Papal pardon is likely). Perhaps Vatileaks will [...]
Quaerere Deum, search for God. This was the motivation that brought so many people to begin the era of monasticism in Europe. Benedict XVI outlined it in his speech to College de Bernardins in Paris. «Find the monk that lays inside you»: this is how – according to Giuseppe Della Torre, president [...]
One year ago – it was the 30th of December 2010 – the publication of the Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio for the prevention and countering of illegal activities in the area of monetary and financial dealings was considered one of the most important news. The Motu Proprio extended to the Holy See the [...]
Vatican State is still not in the “white list” of the virtous states for money laundering legislation. After the Monetary Convention of 17 December 2009 between Vatican City State and the European Union, and the new Vatican legislation for the prevention and countering of illegal activities in the financial and monetary sectors, Holy [...]