{"id":44761,"date":"2020-06-01T12:24:51","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T16:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insidethevatican.com\/?p=44761"},"modified":"2020-07-30T08:45:30","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T12:45:30","slug":"vatican-watch-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insidethevatican.com\/magazine\/vatican-watch-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Vatican Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Becky Derks with CNA Reports – Grzegorz Galazka and CNA photos<\/strong><\/p>\n A Maltese court has authorized the seizure of assets belonging to the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), commonly called \u201cthe Vatican Bank.\u201d The garnishment order was issued last month, allowing three companies involved in a lawsuit against the bank to seize \u20ac29.5 million in assets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Two Malta-based investment companies, Futura Funds Sicav and Futura Investment Management, along with Luxembourg-based Courgar Real Estate, have been embroiled in a years-long court battle with the IOR over millions of euros which the Vatican bank agreed to invest with the firms, before withdrawing from the deal.<\/span><\/p>\n At issue is a 2013 investment plan involving the purchase of a property in Hungary \u2014 the Budapest Exchange Palace \u2014 for development and resale. According to Futura, the IOR originally said it would commit \u20ac47 million euros to the project but only delivered \u20ac14 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Futura argued in the lawsuit that, following a change of leadership at the IOR, the bank had reneged on the project and wanted to go back on its legal commitment to invest.<\/span><\/p>\n The judgement by the Maltese court was made March 13 and represents the balance of the investment owed by the IOR and \u201cmaterial damages suffered by Futura Fund and Futura IM\u201d according to a statement from Futura released to the financial news website Expert Investor and reported April 6.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pope Francis has established a new \u201cStudy Commission on the Female Diaconate\u201d as a follow-up to a previous group that studied the history of women deacons in the New Testament and the early Christian communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi of Aquila will serve as president of the new commission and Father Denis Dupont-Fauville, an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will serve as secretary, the Vatican said April 8. Pope Francis named 10 other members of the commission.<\/span><\/p>\n None of the 12 were part of the Commission Pope Francis established in 2016 to study the historical facts about the women referred to as deaconesses in the New Testament and about the role of women deacons in the early Church.<\/span><\/p>\n In his Easter blessing, Pope Francis called on humanity to unite in solidarity and look to the risen Christ for hope amid the coronavirus pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cToday the Church\u2019s proclamation echoes throughout the world: \u2018Jesus Christ is risen!\u2019 \u2013 \u2018He is truly risen,\u2019\u201d Pope Francis said on April 12.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Risen Lord is also the Crucified One … In his glorious body he bears indelible wounds: wounds that have become windows of hope. Let us turn our gaze to him, that he may heal the wounds of an afflicted humanity,\u201d the Pope said in a nearly empty St. Peter\u2019s Basilica.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cToday my thoughts turn in the first place to the many who have been directly affected by the coronavirus: the sick, those who have died and family members who mourn the loss of their loved ones, to whom, in some cases, they were unable even to bid a final farewell. May the Lord of life welcome the departed into his kingdom and grant comfort and hope to those still suffering, especially the elderly and those who are alone,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n The Vatican is creating a commission, at the request of Pope Francis, to provide local aid and tackle issues related to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement released April 15.<\/span><\/p>\n The commission has been formed \u201cto express the concern and love of the Church for the whole human family in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, above all through the analysis and reflection on the socio-economic and cultural challenges of the future and the proposal of guidelines to face them,\u201d according to the announcement.<\/span><\/p>\n Like the women at the tomb whose sorrow turned to joy after the Resurrection, Christians also are called to be joyful witnesses to Christ\u2019s victory over death amid the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis said.<\/span><\/p>\n In an editorial published April 17 by the Spanish magazine, Vida Nueva, the Pope said that those who take part in \u201cthe Lord\u2019s passion, the passion of our brothers and sisters, even living our own passion, our ears will hear the newness of the Resurrection: we are not alone, the Lord precedes us on our journey by removing the stones that paralyze us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s one thing we\u2019ve been able to learn in all this time, it\u2019s that no one is saved alone,\u201d he wrote. \u201cBorders are falling, walls are crumbling and all fundamentalist\u00a0 discourses are dissolving before an almost imperceptible presence that shows the fragility of which we are made.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nApril<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Monday 6<\/h4>\n
Malta Court authorizes seizure of \u20ac29.5 Million in Vatican Bank assets<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Wednesday 8<\/h4>\n
Pope Sets up new commission to study Women Deacons<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Sunday 12<\/h4>\n
Pope Francis’ Easter Blessing: May Christ dispel the darkness of our suffering humanity.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Wednesday 15<\/h4>\n
Vatican creates commission to address Coronavirus aftermath<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Friday 17<\/h4>\n
Pope pens editorial on joy in the time of Coronavirus<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Thursday 23<\/h4>\n
Pope postpones International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest<\/strong><\/h3>\n