In this picture taken on Monday, June 10, 2013, Ernst von Freyberg, president of the Vatican Bank I.O.R. (Istituto per le Opere Religiose), sits under a rendition of Peter Paul Rubens' 1612 painting "The tribute money", inspired to the answer attributed to Jesus: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" when he was asked wether it was right or not to pay taxes to the Romans, as he talks with the Associated Press during an interview at his office in Vatican City. The Vatican still hasn t fully solved an embarrassing shutdown in credit card services, despite announcing four months ago that systems were back up - as Pope Benedict XVI s shock resignation laid the ground for a bonanza in Vatican-minted papal memorabilia. The impact has been far worse than the Vatican ever let on, costing the Holy See a fortune at a time when the Catholic world is still buzzing with excitement about the election of Pope Francis.
In this picture taken on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, Mauro Olivieri, head of the Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in his office at the Vatican. The Vatican still hasn t fully solved an embarrassing shutdown in credit card services, despite announcing four months ago that systems were back up - as Pope Benedict XVI s shock resignation laid the ground for a bonanza in Vatican-minted papal memorabilia. The impact has been far worse than the Vatican ever let on, costing the Holy See a fortune at a time when the Catholic world is still buzzing with excitement about the election of Pope Francis.
In this picture taken on Monday, June 10, 2013, Ernst von Freyberg, president of the Vatican Bank I.O.R. (Istituto per le Opere Religiose), poses for portraits after an interview with the Associated Press at his office in Vatican City. The Vatican still hasn t fully solved an embarrassing shutdown in credit card services, despite announcing four months ago that systems were back up - as Pope Benedict XVI s shock resignation laid the ground for a bonanza in Vatican-minted papal memorabilia. The impact has been far worse than the Vatican ever let on, costing the Holy See a fortune at a time when the Catholic world is still buzzing with excitement about the election of Pope Francis.
Rene Brulhart, director of the Financial Information Authority, an institution established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 to monitor the monetary and commercial activities of Vatican agencies, meets the press at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. The Vatican took another step Wednesday in trying to show greater financial transparency by publishing a first annual report from its financial watchdog agency and announcing new regulations to fight money laundering and terror financing that are expected in the coming weeks and months.
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MAY 18: Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel (centre L) is accompanied by Prefect of the Pontifical House and former personal secretary of Pope Benedict XVI, Georg Ganswein (centre R) to attend a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican on May 18, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican.
