VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter
Joshua J. McElwee | Jan. 23, 2017
VATICAN CITY
The head of the Vatican’s financial watchdog agency has revealed that the city-state began pursuing prosecutions against people accused of financial crimes for the first time in 2016, in what may be seen as a breakthrough for Pope Francis’ continuing reforms.
In an NCR interview Jan. 10, the president of the Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority said the first prosecutions had begun without public announcement in 2016 and would continue at a faster pace in 2017.
“The work there is increasing and we are definitely making progress on that end,” said René Brülhart, speaking about the process carefully.
Lack of prosecutions against those accused of financial crimes has long been a concern of international experts who have examined the Vatican’s financial system.
While the watchdog agency has released annual reports since 2012 detailing possible suspicious activity, for example marking 544 activities as questionable in 2015, there had as yet been no prosecutions of those responsible.
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