TWO of the most senior officials of the Vatican bank have
resigned from their posts as Pope Francis increases his efforts to
clean up the machinery of the Roman Catholic Church.
Paolo Cipriani, the director of the the Institute for the Works
of Religion (IOR), and Massimo Tulli, deputy director of the bank,
decided to leave "in the best interests of the Institute and the
Holy See", a statement from the Vatican said.
They have given up their jobs just five days after the Argentine
Pontiff established a five-member commission to scrutinise the
activities of the bank as part of his agenda for reform of the
Church.
The double resignation also comes two days after Italian police
arrested Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, an accountant involved in
Vatican properties and investments, on suspicion of large-scale
fraud, corruption, and slander.
The Vatican announced on Tuesday that the resignations of the
pair had been accepted, and that the president of the IOR, Ernst
von Freyberg (above, right), a German industrialist, would
"assume the functions of the general director ad interim
with immediate effect".
Rolando Marranci, a former chief operating officer at a "leading
Italian bank in London", was named as the deputy director of the
IOR, and a new post of chief risk officer has been created for
Antonio Montaresi, who has served as chief compliance officer for
banks in the United States.
In a statement, Mr von Freyberg said: "Since 2010, the IOR and
its management have been working hard to bring structures and
processes in line with international standards for anti-money
laundering.
"While we are grateful for what has been achieved, it is clear
today that we need new leadership to increase the pace of this
transformation process."