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| Just another acusation |
Archbishop
Carlo Maria Viganò, current ambassador of Vatican state in the United States
(USA) and former secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City on
Wednesday denounced Pope Benedict XVI for "corruption and
mismanagement" in the administration of the religious institution.
The report
was published in the Italian press Corriere della Sera and Libero Quotidiano who
broadcast excerpts from a letter written by Viganò in which he expressed regret
about "the corruption and privileges" that he had seen since taking
the post of general secretary Governorate in July 2009.
"I
never would have thought to stand before this disastrous situation," which
despite being "unimaginable was known throughout the Curia," expresed
the preacher in his letter.
Specifically,
the Archbishop claimed that in Vatican "always work the same companies,"
with duplicate payments market prizes and also added that "there is no
transparency whatsoever in the management of contracts for construction and
engineering."
He also
alleged that the Fabric of St. Peter, who runs the Vatican building maintenance,
presented "an astronomical account" of 550 000 €, $ 715,000, for the
construction of the traditional living Nativity Scene to be placed in San Pedro
Square in 2009.
Viganó helds
that the bankers who make up the so-called "Committee of Finance and Management"
have more care about their own interests "tham ours interest" (Vaticano
interes) and that in December 2009 in a financial transaction "burned
(lost) $ 2.5 million ".
With this
evidences, Viganò ended by saying that during his tenure that the Vatican was
able to pass from 8.5 million € of debt in 2009 to a profit of 34.4 million in
2010.
However,
the Archbishop stated that its policy of rigor made many enemies and was because
of this that he was removed from the
Governorate and sent as Nuncio (ambassador) to U.S., a position seen as a punishment
for the prelate.
"My transfer
(to the U.S.) will serve to discourage those who believed it would be possible
to clean up numerous cases of corruption and embezzlement in the management of
different directions" in Vatican said.
According to
the newspaper Corriere della Sera, Vigano
felt threatened by hostile maneuvers within the Vatican, so he decided to go
directly to Benedict XVI, a pope supposedly considered "concerned"
about transparency in finance.
The Italian
press believes that these allegations (which were published on Wednesday
although dating back over 10 months ago) were that cost Viganó not be promoted
to cardinal, as his due.
