The Cardinal from Piemonte accepts the confirmation of the dismissal of Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, former president of the IOR with whom he had entered on a collision course when trying to save the San Raffaele Hospital.
Two meetings in one week were sufficient for the Oversight Commission of Cardinals to formalize Gotti’s exit from the scene, but were not sufficient to pacify "God’s safety deposit box."
The Cardinals of the Curia, Attilio Nicora and Jean-Louis Tauran, in fact contest that the "Holy Finance” be managed by the Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, who in 2009 called on Gotti and who now has ousted him and placed his Cardinals at the head of the economic ministries of the Holy See (Calcagno at Apsa, Versaldi at the Prefecture for Economic Affairs, Bertello at the Governorship).
Bertone's victory over dissidents in the Commission could be temporary if Nicora and Tauran are able to determine the election of a new president.
The appointment of the German Schmitz is an intermediate step towards the choice of "an new and excellent president who will help to restore effective and comprehensive relations between the Institute and the financial community, based on mutual respect for internationally accepted banking standards", is the official version in the Sacred Palaces.
"The alignment with transparency is proceeding smoothly", a banker close to Bertone ensures La Stampa.
Meanwhile, however, doubts emerge at the Vatican on the real possibilities and opportunities for enter the "white list" of virtuous countries.
A prelate who is a financial expert pointed out to the Curia that adapting to international standards for preventing money laundering, would prevent the "the Pope’s safety deposit box" from handling resources belong to episcopates persecuted by totalitarian regimes with traditional confidentiality, and to appropriate money that has always flowed in from many who want or need to remain anonymous.
Being part of the "white list", as recommended by the then Minister Tremonti and his advisor Gotti Tedeschi, does not find positive reaction from those who fear that there would be a limit to IOR operations.
So on the one hand there’s Bertone (with his control over the economic troika from Across the Tiber), and on the other the President of the IOR Ettore Gotti Tedeschi dismissed by the board of the Vatican institute. Distrust has matured for several failings allegedly charged to Gotti in addition to the charges for failure to steer the institution towards greater transparency. Nicora and Tauran.
The two sides face each other in managing the finances of the Vatican: a clash of which Gotti Tedeschi was the illustrious victim.
On the one hand, those who believe that transparency and the need to adapt to international standards in order to enter the club of those virtuous is an obligation that the Vatican cannot disregard, on the other to those who believe (Bertone, between Toppo and Scherer among them) that this is the line to pursue but in moderation, bearing in mind that the Vatican has its own characteristics which makes it not entirely comparable to other sovereign states.
“There is no split inside the Commission of Cardinals”, says the Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, in attempt to calm the situation.
The written communication to Gotti Tedeschi is equivalent to a “confirmation” of the unanimous no confidence vote of the “Board”.