VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis set up a commission to review the activities of the scandal-plagued Vatican Bank on June 26 to ensure it works in harmony with the mission of the Roman Catholic Church.
The move comes only a few days after he appointed a trusted cleric as the bank’s overseeing prelate, a position that had been vacant for years.
The Vatican Bank, formally known as the Institute for the Works of Religion, has a long history of secrecy and scandals. It has reportedly been involved in several shady operations in past years and has been accused of having ties to the Mafia.
The new commission created by Francis will have the power to access the bank’s data and documents, trumping the secrecy that historically shrouded its operations.
The five-member commission includes among its members two cardinals and the former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Harvard professor Mary Ann Glendon.
The Vatican’s chief spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said Francis wants to “reform the bank to make it more pertinent to the church’s needs.”
Francis was elected with a clear mandate to reform the Curia, the Vatican’s central administration, after years of scandals and reports of infighting and lack of internal collaboration.
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