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	Vatican Saga Continues By Hector R.r. Villanueva Manila Bulletin December 27, 2010 http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/295109/vatican-saga-continues "The violent manner of Roberto Calvi's death and the details of the Banco Ambrosiano's financial collapse would embroil the Vatican in years of controversy." — Philip Willan's "The Last Supper" or "The Killing of Roberto Calvi" MANILA, Philippines – In recent weeks, Rome police seized 23 million euros ($30 million) in Vatican assets for alleged money laundering and failure to explain the origin or destination of these monies from the Institute of Religious Works which actually operates like a bank. The Vatican bank, or the "Instituto per le Opere di Religione (IOR), was once headed by Lithuanian–American Archibishop Paul Marcinkus at about the same time that Roberto Calvi was appointed President of Banco Ambrosiano which was not only the largest private bank in Italy at that time but was also the largest bank failure to-date in European financial history. The latest money laundering violation of the Vatican bank is a continuing saga dating back to the tragic murder of banker Roberto Calvi who was found hanging under the Blackfriars bridge in Central London on 18 June 1981 which was declared a suicide at that time. In 1992, London police finally ruled that Calvi's death was a suicide. In 1998 Calvi's remains were exhumed for further autopsy. In 2002, a new forensic report concluded that Calvi was murdered. To quote author Philip Willan, "The last supper of Roberto 'God's Banker' Calvi lies at the center of one of the most extraordinary criminal puzzles of all time. It involved the largest bankruptcy in European history, bizarre forensics, and secret Masonic rituals, with a cast of characters that included and implicated the Opus Dei, the Mafia, the Vatican, Masonic lodge, CIA, and the governments of Italy, USA, and the UK"..... "Calvi's last days on the run, execution and elimination prevented the world from learning the full extent of Western funding of anti-communist terrorism, conspiracy, and insurgency." Somehow, at some time or another, Roberto Calvi's Banco Ambrosiano, and its subsidiaries in Latin America and continental Europe had extensively engaged in money laundering, from American mafia, drug lords, to Vatican funding and subsidies to the Solidarity Movement in Poland against the Soviet Union; anti-communist funding from Britain and US to prevent further encroachment of Communist Parties in Europe, especially Italy in the sixties and seventies. It is obvious that the Vatican today continues to engage in money laundering and secret funding for religious and political causes as it had always done previously. At that time, Italy had the largest Communist Party in Europe, and banks like the Banco Ambrosiano were willing to help the rich by funding wealth via the Vatican Bank towards the safety of Switzerland or offshore financial centers in the Caribbean. According to the author, "the institution (Church) that was dedicated to the dissemination of the moral message of Jesus Christ would find itself accused of complicity in fraud, arms dealing, and laundering of drug money on behalf of the Mafia."....The Roman Catholic church, threatened and persecuted around the globe by atheistic communism would find itself sucked in some of the most unscrupulous activities of the Cold War, criminals, and spies." Financial scandals, ponzi scams, and global scandals of sexual abuse by priests have dramatically affected the image and reputation of the Vatican. Thus, the recent seizure by Rome police of 23 million euros for failure to report under the AMLA Law does not only show the Vatican bank's continuing disregard of the money laundering law but also shows the Vatican's shady banking activities over the years. At least, 23 years after Calvi's death, five people, in 2005, finally went on trial in Rome for the murder of Roberto "God's banker" Calvi. The Roman Catholic Church and the Papacy of Pope Benedict XVI are under siege and under severe stress. Contact: chaff_fromthegrain@yahoo.com.ph
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