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Will They Never Learn? - Part 2
Topic Started: Saturday, 28. January 2012, 09:23 (535 Views)
Mairtin
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An Italian television investigation has revealed that a deputy governor of the Vatican was transferred last year against his will after complaining about irregularities in the awarding of contracts.

The programme showed letters from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano informing Pope Benedict that he had discovered a web of corruption, nepotism and cronyism linked to inflated contract payments.

For example, an outdoor crib had cost more than twice what it should have.
...

The Vatican responded by criticising the methods used in making the programme.

In a statement, the Vatican highlights the "questionable journalistic methods" with which the programme was made, and "disappointment at the revelation of reserved documents".

It said that such things often form part of the "biased coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church".


Source - RTE News (My emphasis added)

Once again, the Vatican responds to a problem by trying to shoot the messenger.

It would make you weep.

Edited by Mairtin, Saturday, 28. January 2012, 09:27.
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Mairtin
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More details of the story here (Reuters)

Despite a personal plea to the Pope to be allowed to carry on, the guy who discovered the corruption and tried to fight it was removed from the Vatican by "promoting" him against his wishes to a post in the USA.
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Deleted User
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I suppose Mairtin it is always possible that the story is angled to give a particular view. However, even trying hard for this objectivity, you are spot on in suggesting that this has all the familiar signs of a cover-up , a technique used and discredited in past. financial and abuse scandals. A familiar sense of dread is hitting me!

John
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Rose of York
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Will They Never Learn?


What makes you think they want to learn?
Keep the Faith!

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Rose of York
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http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=19727

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Vatican defends transfer of alleged whistleblower

An Italian television programme has claimed that a former top Vatican City official was moved to another post, against his will, after he complained about the way contracts were being awarded.

The programme: 'The Untouchables' broadcast by the La 7 channel on Wednesday night, showed several letters sent last year by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, when he was deputy-governor of Vatican City, to superiors, including Pope Benedict, about the corruption.

The Vatican issued a statement Thursday criticizing the methods used in the journalistic investigation. But it seems to have confirmed that the letters were authentic by expressing "sadness over the publication of reserved documents."

As deputy governor of the Vatican City for two years from 2009 to 2011, Vigano was the number two official in a department responsible for maintaining the Vatican gardens, buildings, streets, museums and other infrastructure.

Vigano said in the letters that when he took the job, he discovered a web of corruption, nepotism and cronyism linked to the awarding of contracts to outside companies at inflated prices.

In one letter, Vigano tells the Pope of a smear campaign against him (Vigano) by other Vatican officials who wanted him transferred because they were upset that he had taken drastic steps to save the Vatican money by cleaning up its procedures.

"Holy Father, my transfer right now would provoke much disorientation and discouragement in those who have believed it was possible to clean up so many situations of corruption and abuse of power that have been rooted in the management of so many departments," Vigano wrote to the Pope on 27 March, 2011.

In another letter sent to Pope Benedict on April 4, 2011, Vigano says he discovered the management of some Vatican City investments was entrusted to two funds managed by a committee of Italian bankers "who looked after their own interests more than ours."

Vigano says in the same letter that in one single financial transaction in December, 2009, "they made us lose two and a half million dollars."

The program interviewed an anonymous man it identified as a member of the bankers' committee who said Vigano had developed a reputation as a "ballbreaker" among companies that had contracts with the Vatican, because of his insistence on transparency and competition.

In one of the letters to the Pope, Vigano said Vatican maintenance workers were demoralized because "work was always given to the same companies at costs at least double compared to those charged outside the Vatican."

Even though, Vigano's cost-cutting and transparency campaign helped turned Vatican City's budget from deficit to surplus during his tenure, in 2011 unsigned articles criticizing him as inefficient appeared in the Italian newspaper Il Giornale.

On March 22, 2011, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone informed Vigano that he was being removed from his position, even though it was to have lasted until 2014.

In early April, Vigano wrote to the Pope, telling him that he had worked hard to "eliminate corruption, private interests and dysfunction that are widespread in various departments." In the same letter he said: "no-one should be surprised about the press campaign against me" because he tried to root out corruption and had made enemies.

Despite his appeals to the Pope that a transfer, even if it was a promotion, "would be a defeat difficult for me to accept," Vigano was named ambassador to Washington in October of last year after the sudden death of the previous envoy to the United States.

Yesterday, the Holy See Press Office director Fr Federico Lombardi SJ, issued a statement in which he questioned the journalistic methods in which the programme had been made, and expressed his "disappointment at the revelation of reserved documents", noting that such things often form part of the "biased coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church".

He pointed out that two considerations "had not given space in the course of the debate". Firstly, he said: "the activities of Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano as secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State certainly had many positive aspects, as he contributed to the efforts being made to ensure administrative rigour, economisation and the improvement of what was a difficult overall economic situation. ... However, a fairer evaluation would have taken account of the trends of the market, the investment criteria adopted over recent years, and other important circumstances."

He continued: "Certain accusations - some very serious - made during the course of the programme, especially those concerning the members of the Finance and Management Committee of the Governorate and the Secretariat of State, will lead both the Secretariat of State and the Governorate to adopt all measures (including if necessary legal measures) to protect the honour of morally upright and highly professional people who serve the Church, the Pope and the common good."

"In any case, the positive criteria of correct and transparent management which inspired Archbishop Vigano certainly continue to guide the current directors of the Governorate. ... This is in keeping with the policy to which the Holy See is committed of increasing transparency and attentively monitoring of economic activities".

Secondly, he said: "the difficult process of discerning the various aspects involved in managing a complex institution such as the Governorate - which are not limited to administrative rigour - was presented in a superficial and biased manner, highlighting the evidently negative aspects with the simplistic result of presenting the structures of government in the Church as being, not so much affected by human frailty (which would be easily understandable), as profoundly characterised by arguments, divisions and power struggles. ... Yet, all this disinformation will certainly not obscure the daily and serene efforts towards increasing transparency in all Vatican institutions. ... In this context, it must be decisively affirmed that entrusting Archbishop Vigano with the role of apostolic nuncio to the United States - one of the most important roles in Vatican diplomacy given the importance of the country and of the Catholic Church there - is proof of unquestionable respect and trust".


Article reproduced in full, with permission.
Keep the Faith!

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Derekap
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Mairtin
Saturday, 28. January 2012, 09:41
More details of the story here (Reuters)

Despite a personal plea to the Pope to be allowed to carry on, the guy who discovered the corruption and tried to fight it was removed from the Vatican by "promoting" him against his wishes to a post in the USA.
Way back I was told that in the military and civil services when senior officials wish to have someone removed they recommend him/her for promotion. The rank in the department or unit is then "over-staffed" so the lucky person is transferred to a vacancy.
Derekap
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Anne-Marie

For decades I have made no secret that I am a Catholic in spite of the Church, rather than because of it.
When I learn of what our collections for the diocese are used (cover-ups of crime when all else fails) I simply withhold my money from the collection. And as at the time of the scandals which activities at the Vatican Bank threw up, I refuse to put even a penny in Peter's Pence (or whatever the HQ collection is called these days).

My duty as a Christian/Catholic is to serve God, not to serve man - whether dressed in clerical uniform or not!
I am not duty-bound to finance crooks and cover-ups, and were I so bound by the Church, then they could excommunicate me without causing me to lose any sleep over it, because I wouldn't need a man (pope or otherwise) to tell me they would be wrong - I'd know that for certain.

In relation to the issue raised, the Vatican should have corrected what was clearly wrong (with documentation to prove it if necessary) BEFORE transferring the honest archbishop - that HQ still deludes itself into believing Catholics of any rank will be silenced about such behaviour (and will refrain from leaking it) shows just how far they have departed from serving God.
(I'm still trying to decide whether I feel sorry for my outgoing parish priest, who will take up his new post there in two weeks - rather him than me)
Anne-Marie
FIAT VOLUNTAS DEI
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Rose of York
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Anne-Marie
Sunday, 29. January 2012, 12:26
For decades I have made no secret that I am a Catholic in spite of the Church, rather than because of it.
Don't you mean you are sick of some of the individuals in power in the Church? I join you in that. If you were sick of The Church you would have walked out by now.

Anne-Marie
Sunday, 29. January 2012, 12:26
In relation to the issue raised, the Vatican should have corrected what was clearly wrong (with documentation to prove it if necessary) BEFORE transferring the honest archbishop - that HQ still deludes itself into believing Catholics of any rank will be silenced about such behaviour (and will refrain from leaking it) shows just how far they have departed from serving God.

Serving God? I understood that their attitude is that we should be serving THEM.

Those who are corrupt N.B. - once I would have said the few who are corrupt, now I wonder whether they are majority or minority) will never learn, change if it comes will be from the bottom upwards, but why should we be treated as the bottom, the lower ranks, the non commissioned? Every one of us is a part of the Church.


Keep the Faith!

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Deleted User
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The more I read about this the more depressing and worrying it gets.

As far as I can see, the Vatican is making no attempt to deny the story but is simply deploring the leak of the correspondence. Its only other defence is to say that measures have now been put in place to counter the abuses listed.

If we believe the media version of this, then the Pope, his Secretary of State and other senior figures not only chose to ignore corrupt financial practices but took deliberate decisions to undermine and sideline the man who uncovered these practices. A story like this would get politicians hounded from office.

Where are our own bishops on this? They are the senior management and should be demanding explanations from head office. Let us give them the benefit of the doubt and imagine that they are indeed doing so discreetly. This is not good enough--this is a public scandal and needs a public response and investigation. If our bishops remain silent on our own scandal, why should the general public pay any attention when they make statemens on any other issue of public morality?

Indeed, if the story is true, why should we give any credibility to these senior figures at the Vatican when they call for a Year of Faith or extol the New Evangelisation?

John



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Rose of York
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John Sweeney
Sunday, 5. February 2012, 10:47
Where are our own bishops on this? They are the senior management and should be demanding explanations from head office. Let us give them the benefit of the doubt and imagine that they are indeed doing so discreetly. This is not good enough--this is a public scandal and needs a public response and investigation. If our bishops remain silent on our own scandal, why should the general public pay any attention when they make statemens on any other issue of public morality?
Now now John, it's none of our business. There are plenty of laity who will take that attitude and tell you off if you voice your reaction to this story. You will be denounced as anti Catholic, dissident, rebel, advised to find a Church that suits you. Our bishops live in the dark ages. Only a few decades ago, trade unions dealt with the culture of the employer having all the rights and the workers being told that if they were not happy with the dangerous machinery, bullying manager, or unacceptably low pay, they could always find another job. Since then the world has moved on, it is time our bishops twigged that.


http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/vatican-defends-whistleblowers-transfer-to-us-181602.html

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The Vatican has defended its transfer of a top official to Washington after he exposed alleged corruption in the awarding of Holy See contracts.

The Vatican also warned it could take legal action against a TV show that reported on the case. The Italian news programme showed letters from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano to Pope Benedict XVI begging not to be transferred after exposing corruption costing the Vatican millions of euro.
Keep the Faith!

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Chris
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The Holy Father spoke positively last year about the power of social media. It would be interesting (but unrealistic, I suspect) if there were an online poll of Catholics, that quantified our feelings about the Vatican's handling of such situations.
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Rose of York
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Chris it is the lack of accountability, the secrecy and the superiority complex that make me mad.

Is there any record in scripture of the first bishops, the Apostles, behaving in such a manner, as though what went on was nothing to do with laity?

It beats me how so many men who supposedly felt a call from God to offer Mass and administer Sacraments end up as bankers. I doubt whether they had true vocations to priesthood in the first place.
Keep the Faith!

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Chris
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Rose of York
Sunday, 5. February 2012, 13:30
Chris it is the lack of accountability, the secrecy and the superiority complex that make me mad.

Is there any record in scripture of the first bishops, the Apostles, behaving in such a manner, as though what went on was nothing to do with laity?

It beats me how so many men who supposedly felt a call from God to offer Mass and administer Sacraments end up as bankers. I doubt whether they had true vocations to priesthood in the first place.
Amen.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton
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Gerard

Rose of York
Sunday, 5. February 2012, 13:30

Is there any record in scripture of the first bishops, the Apostles, behaving in such a manner, as though what went on was nothing to do with laity?

I have recently come to see this verse as just such an example:

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Acts 6:2-4 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”


Gerry
"The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998).
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tomais

Take their titles away fom them;their bonuses,ie., their " Indulgences",transfer them to coperative functions in other faiths!
"promote " them to jobs in the UK/EEC?Brussels.
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