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

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult, Could Face Override

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Show More