Vatican is committed: Millions of millions for money laundering and terrorism blocked!

Vatican is committed: Millions of millions for money laundering and terrorism blocked!

Vatikanstadt, Vatikan - The Vatican financial supervision, also known as ASIF, took remarkable measures in 2024 due to numerous suspicious activities. According to an ASIF report, which was published on April 9, 2025, single -digit million amounts were frozen on the accounts of the Vatican Bank IOR last year. The measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing show progress, but the dark dark side in the form of increasing suspicion reports cannot be overlooked. A total of 79 messages about suspicious activities were submitted, a decline compared to 123 in the previous year, with 73 reports from the IOR. This reduced number is considered an indication of a higher quality of suspected cases.

In 2024, transactions of almost 1.06 million euros were blocked and credit of a good 2.1 million euros was frozen. These numbers have been significantly higher than the values ​​of the past five years. The Vatican financial supervision has been monitored since the introduction by Benedict XVI. and the improvement by Pope Francis international transactions about the IOR and, in the course of this, has first focused on transfers from high-risk countries in which the Catholic Church is active.

progress and challenges

The ASIF was able to present a number of positive developments in 2024. President Carmelo Barbagallo emphasized the high performance of the financial supervision in the annual report. Overall, the number of international collaborations rose to 44, while the domestic information exchange increased to 65 increase. Despite the increasing number of suspected reports, no critical findings were found, and none of the reports led to criminal interventions or a transfer to the Vatican judicial office.

A particularly important point of the report is the lower control of the ASIF of the IOR, which was designed more comprehensively in 2024. This included the introduction of new ESG requirements that the IOR obliges to report on ecological and social risks. In addition, the Moneyval Committee of the European Council rated the legal alignment of the Vatican to international standards as positive. Of 39 recommendations of the FATF, 35 were classified as high or completely conformed.

Financial perspective of the IOR

The IOR generated a profit of 30.6 million euros in 2023, which represents an increase compared to the previous year. Much of this profit is paid to the Vatican. In addition, Vatican Bank looks after around 5.4 billion euros and has around 12,000 customers, including mainly spiritual, religious communities and diplomatic representatives of the Holy Chair.

The IOR has been a member of the European financial system SEPA since 2019 and has been recognized as a "privileged partner" by the US Finance Authority IRS since 2021. These developments ensure that Vatican Bank not only operates across national borders, but also corresponds to international standards. Thanks to the ASIF measures, the IOR has developed into an internationally respected institution that continues to act against money laundering and other unauthorized financial flows. According to OE24 , the bank is still required to withstand the challenges in the global financial world.