The Ior and the Case of Scarano

By Andrea Tornielli
Vatican Insider
July 3, 2013

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/ior-scarano-scandalo-riforma-vaticano-26119/


The reckless operations of Monsignor: isolated case or general mechanism that does not work? Why was it not stopped sooner?

If the investigative elements that emerge from eavesdropping an investigation for corruption and fraud that led to the imprisonment of Monsignor Nuncio Scarano are confirmed, this time it will not be easy for the authorities of Oltretevere to argue that we are faced with the classic "rotten apple."

From inside the Vatican, someone who obviously still does not realize what has happened, filters out this observation: "The errors of the individual do not question the institution. If anything they can question the way in which the institution takes on staff."  In other words: the system works, but we need to be more careful about who we hire ... An applicable reference to the same Monsignor Scarano, as well as to the managers of the IOR who authorized his reckless transactions just as the Vatican undertook the process to comply with money laundering regulations.

The Holy See has assured full cooperation with the Italian judiciary, and therefore the bank accounts of the former robed banker one can probably figure out who has authorized the movement of large sums and why, which were used - according to the accusation - to do favours (reciprocated) for businessmen friends. A movement that, even without waiting for the entry into force of special anti-money laundering rules, should worry about the leadership of the bank. Instead this has not happened. No one noticed anything. No one seems to have worried. Thus, Scarano has been suspended as a precaution after the news of the investigation on him by the Italian judiciary, and not before. Perhaps it is not correct to speak of "system", but of "cultural habit" yes. Something evidently rooted in time.

Now it is up to the chronicle to press. In fact, it is not only the APSA priest in the line of fire who has ended up in prison, but also those who allowed him to do so or who did not notice that he was acting in this way. Only a few weeks ago, the new president of the IOR, Ernst von Freyberg, announcing the great work underway to analyze accounts of the "Vatican Bank", assured that he had created an excellent team and added, when being interviewed by "Corriere della Sera": "The director general, Paolo Cipriani, the Deputy Director, Massimo Tulli and I, make a good team. We work together happily."  Perhaps not an adequate communication strategy, especially since the current Church season would have advised a lower profile at least. More action and less words.

And if there are those who, even Oltretevere, are thinking of waiting for the storm to pass, maybe believing to use the slogan 'zero tolerance' and the anathemas of homiletic Pope Francesco as a fig leaf to cover the perpetuation of the usual routine, this time, in all likelihood, they are mistaken. In the newspapers there are crazy assumptions on the future organization of the Institute for Works of Religion, when everything is still up in the air, since nothing will be decided before the "referent" committee established by Francesco has concluded its in-depth investigation.

  The Pope appears determined to ensure that such cases can not be repeated and that the persons employed by Oltretevere, with or without cassock, can not enjoy any special impunity. The Gospel must "permeate" even the economic and financial institutions. And the need for reform does not concern only the IOR, but more broadly the management of movable and immovable property within the control of the Holy See.