Heart and Soul: Corruption in the Curia

Pope Francis was hailed as a reformist when he became pope in 2013. He promised to get to the bottom of scandals plaguing the Catholic Church, including the Vatican’s handling of money. In 2015, he appointed the Vatican’s first-ever auditor, former Deloitte CEO and chairman Libero Milone. He and his business partner went through the Vatican’s various departments to audit the books, but were met with resistance from the “old guard.” In one Vatican office in particular, Milone says he encountered strong opposition when he tried to audit the books. He says he was eventually forced to resign because he began to uncover significant financial irregularities. A few years after he was forced to resign, a senior cardinal, Angelo Becciu, was convicted by a Vatican court of embezzlement and fraud, for causing the Vatican to lose more than €100 million on a London property investment. Milone is now suing the Vatican for $10 million for wrongful termination, loss of earnings and emotional distress. Colm Flynn met with Libero Milone in Rome. Libero says he took the job to give back to his church, driven by his faith.