Vatican spends just four out of every ten euros it receives in donations on the poor – with the rest going towards its own finances, claims new boo.
More than half of annual donations allegedly used to plug Vatican finances
Centuries-old Peter's Pence donation scheme is meant to help the poor .
For every 10 euro given annually by millions, 'six went into Vatican coffins'.
The Peter's Pence scheme reportedly raised 378 million euros in 2013
— AFP Another book published this week by fellow journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi makes a similar claim about the Peter's Pence scheme and says it raised 378 million euros in 2013.
A Vatican spokesman on Wednesday dismissed the content of the two new books as 'out of date and biased,' claiming that Francis's reforms had already addressed many of the issues raised
One highlight of Nuzzi's book, which was made available to Reuters before publication, is the transcript of a recording of the pope at a meeting in July 2013 - four months after his election - in which he complains to top Vatican officials about its murky finances.
'We have to better clarify the finances of the Holy See and make them more transparent,' he is quoted as saying in the recording, which the author says was made secretly by someone in the room.
'C-l-a-r-i-t-y. That is what's done in the most humble companies and we have to do it, too,' he says, adding that 'It is no exaggeration to say most of our costs are out of control'.
Nuzzi's new book has evoked painful memories of the 2012 'Vatileaks' scandal centred on documents fed to the media by then-pope Benedict XVI's butler.
Controversial claims: Gianluigi Nuzzi's book 'Merchants in the Temple' claims that the Catholic Church is guilty of diverting millions intended for the poor to plug administrative deficits and fund the lifestyle of cardinals
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Controversial claims: Gianluigi Nuzzi's book 'Merchants in the Temple' claims that the Catholic Church is guilty of diverting millions intended for the poor to plug administrative deficits and fund the lifestyle of cardinals
Nuzzi also played a central role in breaking that story, which contributed to Benedict's shock decision to retire the following year.
Vatican authorities this weekend arrested an Italian PR expert and a Spanish priest on suspicion of stealing and leaking classified documents to the media.
Church officials have not explicitly accused either Francesca Chaouqui or Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda of being behind the papal wiretap but have appeared to link the pair to the content of Nuzzi and Fittipaldi's books.
Chaouqui claimed in an interview on Wednesday that it was the priest who had made the illicit recording. She is thought to be cooperating with the Vatican investigation and has been released from detention, while Vallejo Balda remains in prison.
Francis's allies insisted that the leaks scandal would not affect his determination to push on with his reform agenda.
But Italian archbishop Nunzio Galantino acknowledged the pope must be feeling betrayed.
'I put myself in his shoes. No child of the Church, faced with such attacks, could remain indifferent,' Galantino said. 'Some people are clearly afraid of the renewal process the pope is carrying out.'
And as Nuzzi adds in the final section of his book: 'So
Vatican spy leaks Pope Francis’ conversations
The Pope's private conversations were allegedly wiretapped by a racy social climber and a Spanish prelate.
Leaked documents set to be published in two books on Wednesday purportedly reveal how charity money was allegedly spent on refurbishing the houses of powerful cardinals, while claiming the murky Vatican bank continues to shelter suspected criminals.
Public relations expert Francesca Chaouqui and Monsignor Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda were arrested at the weekend for allegedly stealing and leaking classified documents.
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