Suspicion Surrounding Pell’s Too-Convenient Death
The Vatican’s former financial auditor Libero Milone told EWTN.com on March 12 new details about the financial irregularities at the Vatican and the death of his friend Cardinal George Pell. Milone worked at the Vatican from 2015 to 2017.
Corruption In the Vatican
Milone said he and George Pell uncovered financial irregularities and possible fraud. He insists certain problems were not accidents, incompetence or technical errors: “It wasn’t a glitch. We found specific instructions on how the system could be used.”
The Vatican system allowed changing the destination IBAN after a transfer was initiated.
Another example suggested misappropriation of charitable funds. €2.5 million were sent to a children’s hospital to build a new ward (10 tranches of €250,000). But the ward was never built. The money entered the hospital account and then left again. Milone reported the case to Vatican authorities but no investigation response followed.
Systemic Failure or Rather Cover-Up
Milone further claimed that he reported 15 suspicious financial cases to Vatican authorities that were basically ignored. The Vatican financial watchdog responded 14 times saying there was misunderstanding. The Vatican prosecutor never replied once.
Milone believes that he was removed because he was uncovering sensitive financial problems.
Skepticism on Leo XIV’s Claims
Milone also challenges the public statements of Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV had said that the Vatican finances are stable adding that APSA had a €60 million surplus in 2024. APSA is the Vatican department that manages property, investments, and financial assets.
Milone’s response is that that is not the whole Vatican, just one entity: “The 60 million wasn’t the 60 million profits made by the Vatican but was 60 million profit made by APSA.”
The real measure should be consolidated financial statements. He explains that if one Vatican department sells something to another department and books a profit, that profit is not real money for the whole organization but just internal accounting movement: “Internal profits are paper profits, not real profits.”
“The plan and the project that Cardinal Pell was managing was not the financial statements of each entity”, adding: “It was the consolidated financial statements of all the entities of the Vatican.”
Milone criticises the fact that the consolidated accounts are not being published: “Now why are those not disclosed? Because maybe there’s a loss.”
He then adds: “If you talk to me about announcing 60 million and make the faithful in the world believe that the Vatican is pursuing a profitable route, I think it’s misleading.”
Suspicion Surrounding Pell’s Too-Convenient Death
Furthermore, Milone raises doubts about the official cause of death of Cardinal Pell. He died after what should have been a routine hip surgery and Milone described the circumstances as “strange.”
Cardinal Pell was in very good health before the routine hip surgery.
Milone stresses the timing: “All I know is that he came out of the operation at midday and he died at 9 o’clock in the evening, which is a long time after coming out of the anesthesia.”
He never understood how Cardinal Pell died from that procedure.
Milone does not claim a crime, but calls Cardinal Pell’s death “shrouded in mystery.”
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