New head of secret Vatican Bank has Nazi ties

[D1B]

Scandal-hit Vatican bank tries to make clean start but again stumbles

The Vatican appointed a German lawyer to head its bank, but the bid to turn the fortunes of the scandal-hit institution was clouded by his business links to a military shipbuilder.

The appointment, made by a commission of cardinals, was approved by Pope Benedict and is likely one of his last major decisions before he resigns at the end of the month, a move he announced last week, stunning Catholics around the world.

As chairman of the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), Ernst von Freyberg will head efforts to improve the image of the Vatican's bank which is under investigation for money laundering and has been without a head for nine months.

But within minutes of announcing his appointment, the Vatican faced a new public relations challenge when asked to explain Freyberg's chairmanship of Blohm + Voss, a Hamburg-based shipbuilder in which he is a minority shareholder.

Reporters asked Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi how the Church could justify hiring someone who worked for a company with a long history of making warships, including for Nazi Germany.

After initially announcing that the company was no longer involved in that business, the Vatican later issued a statement saying that, while Blohm + Voss's main activity was ship repair and luxury yacht making, it was also “part of a consortium that is building four frigates for the German navy”.

British buyout firm STAR Capital which bought Blohm + Voss in 2011 from ThyssenKrupp said at the time it was acquiring the non-military parts of the industrial conglomerate's ship business.

Lombardi said the fact that Freyberg organised pilgrimages to the shrine at Lourdes and was a Knight of Malta - an elite member of a charitable organisation with roots in the Crusades - was proof he had the “considerable human and Christian sensibility” needed for his new role.

Freyberg takes a position that has been vacant since May when the bank's board ousted the then head Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, accusing the Italian of neglecting his basic management responsibilities.

Gotti Tedeschi's unusually abrupt dismissal, along with the arrest of the pope's butler for stealing confidential papal documents, was the culmination of a leaks scandal that shook the Vatican and weighed on Benedict's papacy.

The Vatican has been trying to shed its image as a suspect financial centre since 1982, when Roberto Calvi, an Italian known as “God's Banker” because of his links to the Vatican, was found hanging from London's Blackfriars Bridge.

In July, a European anti-money laundering committee said the Vatican bank failed to meet all its standards on fighting money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes.

The report by Moneyval, a monitoring committee of the 47-nation Council of Europe, found the Vatican passed nine of 16 “key and core” aspects of its financial dealings.

[GannonFan]

You do realize the guy in question was born in 1958, correct? That puts him being born 13 years after the Nazis were defeated in Germany. As a fan of history, I'm deeply saddened by your bastardation of it. Under your criteria, anyone from Germany technically has Nazi ties. While a technically valid position, it's also not a very useful position.

[kalm]

Well, GATW was born sometime around 1990. Just sayin.

(come to think of it, he also just moved closer to North Idaho.)

[AZGrizFan]

Went to Jay Leno last night performing at a local casino...heard the following joke:

A Catholic priest ended up marrying a lady from his congregation. Jay wondered whether a Catholic priest used the same corny pickup lines as the rest of us, or did they use something like "hey, I put the "lick" in Catholic!"

[JoltinJoe]

In July, a European anti-money laundering committee said the Vatican bank failed to meet all its standards on fighting money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes.

The report by Moneyval, a monitoring committee of the 47-nation Council of Europe, found the Vatican passed nine of 16 “key and core” aspects of its financial dealings.

Funny how "facts" get twisted.

The Vatican Bank PASSED the Moneyval transparency test.

http://sundayex.catholic.org.hk/node/751" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That Moneyval was critical of certain aspects of the Bank's operations is not unusual. It criticized all European banks for shortcomings.

[andy7171]

So this guys worked for a company that helped built four boats for the german navy decades before he was even borne has ties to Nazi germany?

The president and owner of my engineering company fled Iran with the Shah back in the 70's. Does that mean I have ties to Ahmadenijad?

[kalm]

So this guys worked for a company that helped built four boats for the german navy decades before he was even borne has ties to Nazi germany?

The president and owner of my engineering company fled Iran with the Shah back in the 70's. Does that mean I have ties to Ahmadenijad?

Yes

[AZGrizFan]

So this guys worked for a company that helped built four boats for the german navy decades before he was even borne has ties to Nazi germany?

The president and owner of my engineering company fled Iran with the Shah back in the 70's. Does that mean I have ties to Ahmadenijad?

Yes

I think it must have been a rhetorical question...I mean, the answer is plainly obvious.

[CID1990]

I think we need to get Spandos in on this.

[GannonFan]

So this guys worked for a company that helped built four boats for the german navy decades before he was even borne has ties to Nazi germany?

The president and owner of my engineering company fled Iran with the Shah back in the 70's. Does that mean I have ties to Ahmadenijad?

Not only that, but since modern day Iran was once part of the Persian Empire, that means you have ties to that Xerxes dude who invaded Greece. He was pretty freaky looking in that "300" movie.

My wife owned a Volkwagen when we were first dating. Officially means she has Nazi ties I guess then. Oh crap, that means I have Nazi ties now! Darn it all!

[Grizalltheway]

So this guys worked for a company that helped built four boats for the german navy decades before he was even borne has ties to Nazi germany?

The president and owner of my engineering company fled Iran with the Shah back in the 70's. Does that mean I have ties to Ahmadenijad?

Not only that, but since modern day Iran was once part of the Persian Empire, that means you have ties to that Xerxes dude who invaded Greece. He was pretty freaky looking in that "300" movie.

My wife owned a Volkwagen when we were first dating. Officially means she has Nazi ties I guess then. Oh crap, that means I have Nazi ties now! Darn it all!

Same goes for anyone who's used an IBM product.

[D1B]

In July, a European anti-money laundering committee said the Vatican bank failed to meet all its standards on fighting money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes.

The report by Moneyval, a monitoring committee of the 47-nation Council of Europe, found the Vatican passed nine of 16 “key and core” aspects of its financial dealings.

Funny how "facts" get twisted.

The Vatican Bank PASSED the Moneyval transparency test.

http://sundayex.catholic.org.hk/node/751" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That Moneyval was critical of certain aspects of the Bank's operations is not unusual. It criticized all European banks for shortcomings.

It's still failed to meet the standards. I can't believe you're defending the Vatican Bank. You are truly a messed up person. There are therepists that may be able to help you.

[andy7171]

D's taking it from all angles, is a retirement thread in the making?

[D1B]

You do realize the guy in question was born in 1958, correct? That puts him being born 13 years after the Nazis were defeated in Germany. As a fan of history, I'm deeply saddened by your bastardation of it. Under your criteria, anyone from Germany technically has Nazi ties. While a technically valid position, it's also not a very useful position.

Some connections are stronger than others, but nice try generalizing.

A war profiteer is heading your church's bank. You cannot deny this fact.

Of course the catholic church profited immensely from the war and and holocaust too, so this makes sense.

Keep up the good work, Catholics.

[D1B]

D's taking it from all angles, is a retirement thread in the making?

Go fuck yourself, Dummy.

[Ibanez]

You do realize the guy in question was born in 1958, correct? That puts him being born 13 years after the Nazis were defeated in Germany. As a fan of history, I'm deeply saddened by your bastardation of it. Under your criteria, anyone from Germany technically has Nazi ties. While a technically valid position, it's also not a very useful position.

Troof. I guess that makes all us white guys Slave owners.

[GannonFan]

You do realize the guy in question was born in 1958, correct? That puts him being born 13 years after the Nazis were defeated in Germany. As a fan of history, I'm deeply saddened by your bastardation of it. Under your criteria, anyone from Germany technically has Nazi ties. While a technically valid position, it's also not a very useful position.

Some connections are stronger than others, but nice try generalizing.

A war profiteer is heading your church's bank. You cannot deny this fact.

Of course the catholic church profited immensely from the war and and holocaust too, so this makes sense.

Keep up the good work, Catholics.

Dude, how is he a war profiteer when he was born 13 years after the war ended? Heck, he's only been on the board of the company in question for all of one year (he apparently has been on the Board of Supervisors for Blohm and Voss since 2012). So somehow, this guy is a Nazi and a war profiteer simply because, in 2012, he worked for a company that 67 years before he ever took a salary from this company the company in question was making things for the war effort in Germany?

Come on, D, have you woken up today or did you just hit copy and paste on any article from your "Catholics are Bad" newsfeed? If you really think this guy is a Nazi and then, even after that was exposed as patently false and mocked by many here, you think he's a war profiteer (seriously, that's like doubling down on being stupid) then I have to assume you are hung over. I mean, you're moving into citdog and spanos territory here with your lack of logic. Sober up and post again later.

[Ibanez]

So this guys worked for a company that helped built four boats for the german navy decades before he was even borne has ties to Nazi germany?

The president and owner of my engineering company fled Iran with the Shah back in the 70's. Does that mean I have ties to Ahmadenijad?

Great point andy.
Puma- made boots for the Wermacht

IBM- provided counting machines. guess what they counted.

Kodak- actually used labor from the camps

Hugo Boss made Nazi Uniforms

Volkswagen...nuff said

Bayer - they still won't admit that a jewish employee created asprin. They created some of the gas used in chambers

Siemans - created gas chambers

Coca-Cola - Fanta was developed specifically for the Nazis

Standard Oil- fuel for the Luftwaffe. S.O. dissolved and is now Exxon, Chevron and BP

Ford - built vehicles for Germany and the Allies. Henry Ford even donated money to the Nazis and recieved a medal!

Chase Bank - the froze Jewish accounts and sided with the Nazis

Random House Publishing published Nazi propaghanda.


Are we going to demonize everything these companies now do because of what these businesses provided in the 1930s and 1940s? Are we going to demonize HSBC for its funding of cartels and such?

[Ibanez]

Some connections are stronger than others, but nice try generalizing.

A war profiteer is heading your church's bank. You cannot deny this fact.

Of course the catholic church profited immensely from the war and and holocaust too, so this makes sense.

Keep up the good work, Catholics.

Dude, how is he a war profiteer when he was born 13 years after the war ended? Heck, he's only been on the board of the company in question for all of one year (he apparently has been on the Board of Supervisors for Blohm and Voss since 2012). So somehow, this guy is a Nazi and a war profiteer simply because, in 2012, he worked for a company that 67 years before he ever took a salary from this company the company in question was making things for the war effort in Germany?

Come on, D, have you woken up today or did you just hit copy and paste on any article from your "Catholics are Bad" newsfeed? If you really think this guy is a Nazi and then, even after that was exposed as patently false and mocked by many here, you think he's a war profiteer (seriously, that's like doubling down on being stupid) then I have to assume you are hung over. I mean, you're moving into citdog and spanos territory here with your lack of logic. Sober up and post again later.

Good post, GF.

[CID1990]

I think the Vatican is a goat rope, but this Nazi thing is ridiculous. Finding Europeans with Nazi ties is like finding Americans with ties to immigrants.

[CAA Flagship]

Nazi Ties

[Ibanez]

Nazi Ties

Youthink that is what D1b meant? Hmm.. If so then yes, this is shameful.

[Rob Iola]

I once drove a Dodge Colt and an Eagle Summit Wagon, both made by Mitsubishi...

[Ibanez]

I once drove a Dodge Colt and an Eagle Summit Wagon, both made by Mitsubishi...

Rapist of Nanking prick.

[andy7171]

I once drove a Dodge Colt and an Eagle Summit Wagon, both made by Mitsubishi...

Then you got your come uppence in 1945, asshole!