Vatican Orders Church Bankers Not to Invest Its Funds in 'Pornography'

Vatican Orders Church Bankers Not to Invest Its Funds in 'Pornography'

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy announced yesterday that it will centralize and overhaul the Catholic city-state’s investment strategy, and prohibit investing the Church’s funds in financial products that may be linked to “pornography, weapons and gambling.”

The order gives Vatican officers a year to come up with a divestment strategy for any investments that fall under “prohibited categories,” which also include “speculative investments, short selling and investing in highly leveraged or complex financial products or in countries vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing.”

The decision was a result of an embarrassing probe launched by Vatican prosecutors in 2019, after the secretariat's 350-million euro investment in a London property “lost the Holy See tens of millions in fees and commissions to brokers and other losses,” the Associated Press reported yesterday. The move also follows “a decade of efforts, first by Pope Benedict XVI and then Pope Francis, to try to clean up the Vatican’s murky finances and its reputation as an off-shore tax haven.” 

A cardinal, Italian brokers, former Vatican officials and several others “have been on trial for a year on a range of alleged financial crimes,” the AP reported.

The probe also revealed that the Vatican’s reps had invested in the funding of the Elton John biopic “Rocketman.”

The new order, effective Sept. 1, requires Vatican investments to be “aligned” with Catholic Church doctrine, and never used for financial products which may “contradict fundamental principles, such as the sanctity of life or the dignity of the human being or the common good.”

“Investing in one place and not in another, in one productive sector and not in another, is always a moral and cultural choice,” the order stated.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

GoFundMe Set Up for Danny Ferretti's Medical Expenses

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Fangear founder Danny Ferretti, who requires extensive lung surgery.

Byborg Acquires Cuties AI

Byborg Enterprises has acquired adult artificial intelligence startup Cuties AI.

Irish Government Releases Report on Sex Work Decriminalization Legislation

The Irish government has released a report reviewing a 2017 law that decriminalized sex work across the country.

Texas Bill Would Require Age Verification for Online Sex Toy Sales

A new bill in the Texas state legislature would require online retailers to implement age verification of purchasers before selling “obscene devices” to anyone in that state.

New York Assemblyman Proposes Banning the Term 'Sex Work'

Republican New York Assembly Member Brian Maher has introduced a bill to prohibit the use of the term "sex work" in government documents.

Age Verification Watch: Michigan Joins the AV Club, Some Laws Just Make No Sense

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Free Speech Groups Back SCOTUS Appeal of Georgia Strip Club Tax

Two civil liberties organizations filed an amicus brief Tuesday supporting a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a case involving whether a tax specifically aimed at adult entertainment establishments violates the First Amendment.

Creator Networking App 'Plaiir' Launches

Plaiir, a mobile networking app for creators, has officially launched.

Swedish Court Rules LELO Products Do Not Infringe 'Invalid' Satisfyer Patent

A Swedish district court has ruled that a patent filed by Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH is not valid, and therefore three products from pleasure brand LELO are not in violation.

North Dakota House Committee Questions Anti-Porn 'Public Health Hazard' Claim

The North Dakota House of Representatives Education Committee on Monday amended a resolution that would have recognized pornography as a “public health hazard,” instead replacing that language with a call for further study into whether such a designation is appropriate.

Show More