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Authors: Gianluigi Nuzzi
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clarity. He managed to schedule an appointment for the next day with Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, the man inside the Secretariat of State in charge of the Peterâs Pence. To prevent yet another postponement, Borelli sent an advance email detailing point-by-point the information and documents he would be requesting on the bank accounts and the expense items for the fund. The email was sent from his computer at 2:09 P.M. on December 18. At 2:16 P.M. the prelateâs response arrived in his inbox. It ran to a total of seventeen words:
Very good. Better at 9:30. With regard to your questions, weâll see if and how to respond. Regards.
The next day, December 19, the team of consultantsâUlrich Schlickewei of McKinsey, Claudia Ciocca of KPMG, and Carlo Comporti of Promontoryâmet with Monsignor Perlasca at the Vatican. They were expecting answersâfinallyâabout where the offerings of the faithful had ended up. The meeting was cordial, and the three laypersons asked numerous questions, but the answers they received were unsatisfactory. When they left the room, the three of them looked at one another, shocked and aggrieved. They perceived a seemingly impenetrable brick wall. When they got back to the office, they decided to notify chairman Zahra.
Today we had a meeting with Monsignor Perlasca to obtain a better understanding of the use of the St. Peterâs Pence. The meeting was cordial but we did not learn anything new. We were told that part of the money is used to pay the deficit of the Curia, while the other part is for the commitments of the Holy Father, but not for the setting up of reserves. When we requested more details, they refused to reveal anything more.
What was the reason behind all the mystery? Without the requested information the investigation into the Vatican finances was at risk of running agroundâan investigation that had started at the express request of the Holy Father. The concerns mounted. Other complaints were made to chairman Zahra, always by the consultants:
One of the biggest gaps is the Peterâs Pence, where they did not give us access to a complete vision of the collection and management of the funds (weâre talking about at least 30â40 million euros, which is the net of the total revenue minus the financing of the Secretariat of State and APSA). A second gap is, to put it bluntly, âwhat they are not telling us.â We donât know whether other funds or assets, in addition to the Peterâs Pence, are being kept off the books of the Secretariat of State.
What They Donât Want to Say
Five months had already gone by since its first letter to the Vaticanâs administrative bodies and the Commission was still at the starting point. There was still no way of knowing whether there were off-the-books funds that were not included in the consolidated financial reports. So the members decided to go straight to the top. On January 3, 2014, Monsignor Vallejo Balda, the coordinator of the Commission and the liaison with the Curia, wrote a firm letter to the new Secretary of State, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, with a request for clarification. In the letter he refers explicitly to the Popeâs wishes twice in six lines:
Most Reverend Excellency,
For some time now, in fulfillment of the tasks assigned by the Holy Father to this Pontifical Commission, a large-scale audit in loco has been under way at the main Entities of the Holy See that conduct activities that are significant at the economic and administrative level. We were pleased to find, almost everywhere, a cordial reception and concrete collaboration, a sign of the profound awareness of and loyal adherence to the desiderata of His Holiness. This activity also involves necessarily the Entity that you direct. Pursuant to the dictates of the Pontifical Chirograph by which this Commission was established, I would therefore like to cordially request that you provide instructions for our
Very good. Better at 9:30. With regard to your questions, weâll see if and how to respond. Regards.
The next day, December 19, the team of consultantsâUlrich Schlickewei of McKinsey, Claudia Ciocca of KPMG, and Carlo Comporti of Promontoryâmet with Monsignor Perlasca at the Vatican. They were expecting answersâfinallyâabout where the offerings of the faithful had ended up. The meeting was cordial, and the three laypersons asked numerous questions, but the answers they received were unsatisfactory. When they left the room, the three of them looked at one another, shocked and aggrieved. They perceived a seemingly impenetrable brick wall. When they got back to the office, they decided to notify chairman Zahra.
Today we had a meeting with Monsignor Perlasca to obtain a better understanding of the use of the St. Peterâs Pence. The meeting was cordial but we did not learn anything new. We were told that part of the money is used to pay the deficit of the Curia, while the other part is for the commitments of the Holy Father, but not for the setting up of reserves. When we requested more details, they refused to reveal anything more.
What was the reason behind all the mystery? Without the requested information the investigation into the Vatican finances was at risk of running agroundâan investigation that had started at the express request of the Holy Father. The concerns mounted. Other complaints were made to chairman Zahra, always by the consultants:
One of the biggest gaps is the Peterâs Pence, where they did not give us access to a complete vision of the collection and management of the funds (weâre talking about at least 30â40 million euros, which is the net of the total revenue minus the financing of the Secretariat of State and APSA). A second gap is, to put it bluntly, âwhat they are not telling us.â We donât know whether other funds or assets, in addition to the Peterâs Pence, are being kept off the books of the Secretariat of State.
What They Donât Want to Say
Five months had already gone by since its first letter to the Vaticanâs administrative bodies and the Commission was still at the starting point. There was still no way of knowing whether there were off-the-books funds that were not included in the consolidated financial reports. So the members decided to go straight to the top. On January 3, 2014, Monsignor Vallejo Balda, the coordinator of the Commission and the liaison with the Curia, wrote a firm letter to the new Secretary of State, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, with a request for clarification. In the letter he refers explicitly to the Popeâs wishes twice in six lines:
Most Reverend Excellency,
For some time now, in fulfillment of the tasks assigned by the Holy Father to this Pontifical Commission, a large-scale audit in loco has been under way at the main Entities of the Holy See that conduct activities that are significant at the economic and administrative level. We were pleased to find, almost everywhere, a cordial reception and concrete collaboration, a sign of the profound awareness of and loyal adherence to the desiderata of His Holiness. This activity also involves necessarily the Entity that you direct. Pursuant to the dictates of the Pontifical Chirograph by which this Commission was established, I would therefore like to cordially request that you provide instructions for our
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