Accounting at the Vatican has never followed unified policies. Annual reports arenâ??t released, different departments use different accounting principles, data are inconsistent and not comparable. Before Cardinal Pellâ??s appointment, a panel of cardinals charged with economic oversight met just twice a year. Budgets didnâ??t exist, and expenditures werenâ??t itemized.
When cardinals elected Pope Francis in March 2013, they gave him a mandate to revamp the Curia. The resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI , had occurred under a cloud of allegations at the Vatican relating to cronyism, inefficiency and corruption.
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