Vatican Bank scandal

[DianJo]

I happened to catch the History channel (grain of salt! Right?) last night and they were doing specials on all the popes and a history of the church. I missed the beginning of one segment that talked briefly about the Vatican Bank scandal during, I believe, the reign of Pope John XXIII.

I was still a child during this time and do remember something about this. Does anyone here have any info or website that I can access to get more details of this?

Much thanks.

 

[jschutzm]

… I missed the beginning of one segment that talked briefly about the Vatican Bank scandal during, I believe, the reign of Pope John XXIII.

… Does anyone here have any info or website that I can access to get more details of this?

It may have been referring to the Banco Ambrosiano scandal. Where the Bank of St. Ambrose was created to help Charitable organizations. Over time, however, the bank of expanded its role and started off-shore companies in the Bahamas and other places. It then began to funnel money to political parties such as the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and a political reform group in Poland.

In all some 1.2 billion in funds simply ‘disappeared’ – some of it allegedly went to some of the bank executives.

When an investigation was launched… key executives started to flee the country. One of them ended up dead, hung from the London Bridge. – It was listed as a suicide, but some said that he was murdered.

I don’t know a whole lot about it.