Australian Catholic bishops seek answers on the billions of mysteries linked to the Vatican

Australian Catholic bishops are considering raising questions with the country's financial supervisory authority about whether any Catholic organization was among the recipients of billions of Australian dollars in transfers allegedly from the Vatican.

AUSTRAC, Australia's financial intelligence agency, revealed in December that the equivalent of approximately US $ 1,8 billion had been sent to Australia by the Vatican or Vatican-related entities since 2014.

The money was reportedly sent in around 47.000 separate transfers.

The transfers were first reported by The Australian newspaper after being made public in response to a parliamentary question from Australian Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.

Australian Catholic bishops said they were unaware of any dioceses, charities or Catholic organizations in the country receiving the funds, and Vatican officials have also denied knowledge of the transfers, according to Reuters.

A Vatican official told Reuters that "that amount of money and that number of transfers did not leave Vatican City" and that the Vatican would also ask Australian authorities for more details.

"It's not our money because we don't have that kind of money," the official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters.

Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian bishops' conference, told The Australian that it would be possible to ask AUSTRAC if Catholic organizations were the recipients of the funds.

The Australian also reported that the bishops were working on an appeal directly to Pope Francis, asking him to investigate the origin and destination of the thousands of Vatican transfers.

Another report by the Australian suggested that transfers from "Vatican City, its entities or individuals" could come from "numbered accounts", which have Vatican City names but are not used for the benefit of the Vatican or with Vatican money.

News of a money transfer from the Vatican to Australia dates back to early October, when the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that an alleged money transfer was part of a dossier of evidence compiled by Vatican investigators and prosecutors against the cardinal. Angelo Becciu.

The cardinal was forced to resign as Pope Francis on September 24, reportedly in connection with multiple financial scandals dating back to his time as a second-degree official at the Vatican Secretariat of State.

About $ 829.000 was allegedly sent to Australia from the Vatican during the trial of Cardinal George Pell.

CNA has not confirmed the substance of the accusation, and Cardinal Becciu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or attempt to influence Cardinal Pell's trial.

Following the reports, AUSTRAC forwarded details of the transfers to the federal and state police in the Australian state of Victoria.

In late October, the state police said they had no plans to further investigate the matter. Federal police said they were reviewing the information received and also shared it with an anti-corruption commission