Pope Francis & Vatican Bank Laundering Money For Sepp Blatter & The FIFA? Is Pope Francis A Blathering Idiot?

La Voz del Pueblo: What are the worst evils that beset the world today? 
Pope Francis: Poverty, corruption and human trafficking. I can be wrong with the statistics, but what will you tell me if I ask you: When it comes to spending, what thing in the world comes after food, clothing and medicine? The fourth is cosmetics and the fifth are pets. That is serious. Pet care is like love that is somewhat programmed; that is, I can program the loving response of a dog or a little cat, and I do not need to have the experience of love with human reciprocity. I am exaggerating, so do not take it literally, but it is to make you think. Rorate Caeli
2 JUNE 2015


I have been reflecting deeply about my presidency and about the 40 years in which my life has been inextricably bound to Fifa and the great sport of football. I cherish Fifa more than anything and I want to do only what is best for Fifa and for football.

I felt compelled to stand for re-election, as I believed that this was the best thing for the organisation. That election is over but Fifa’s challenges are not. Fifa needs a profound overhaul..

While I have a mandate from the membership of Fifa, I do not feel that I have a mandate from the entire world of football – the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football as much as we all do at Fifa..

Therefore, I have decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as Fifa President until that election..

The next ordinary Fifa Congress will take place on 13 May 2016 in Mexico City. This would create unnecessary delay and I will urge the Executive Committee to organise an Extraordinary Congress for the election of my successor at the earliest opportunity. This will need to be done in line with Fifa’s statutes and we must allow enough time for the best candidates to present themselves and to campaign..

Since I shall not be a candidate, and am therefore now free from the constraints that elections inevitably impose, I shall be able to focus on driving far-reaching, fundamental reforms that transcend our previous efforts..

For years, we have worked hard to put in place administrative reforms, but it is plain to me that while these must continue, they are not enough. The Executive Committee includes representatives of confederations over whom we have no control, but for whose actions Fifa is held responsible. We need deep-rooted structural change..

The size of the Executive Committee must be reduced and its members should be elected through the Fifa Congress. The integrity checks for all Executive Committee members must be organised centrally through Fifa and not through the confederations. We need term limits not only for the president but for all members of the Executive Committee. I have fought for these changes before and, as everyone knows, my efforts have been blocked.

This time, I will succeed. I cannot do this alone. I have asked Domenico Scala to oversee the introduction and implementation of these and other measures. Mr Scala is the Independent Chairman of our Audit and Compliance Committee elected by the Fifa Congress. He is also the Chairman of the ad hoc Electoral Committee and, as such, he will oversee the election of my successor. Mr Scala enjoys the confidence of a wide range of constituents within and outside of Fifa and has all the knowledge and experience necessary to help tackle these major reforms.

It is my deep care for Fifa and its interests, which I hold very dear, that has led me to take this decision. I would like to thank those who have always supported me in a constructive and loyal manner as President of Fifa and who have done so much for the game that we all love. What matters to me more than anything is that when all of this is over, football is the winner.

Sepp & Blathering Idiot

25 MAY 2015


The Vatican bank, officially known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), has seen a sharp jump in its profits for 2014.

The bank earned €69.3m (£49m) last year, compared to just €2.9m in 2013, when it was hit by bad investments and clean-up costs.

Last year the management was replaced as part of an overhaul ordered by the Pope to stamp out corruption.

The bank has promised to improve its returns to customers.

"The main focus is on fundamentally improving our overall client service standards and further professionalising our asset management services," IOR chairman Jean-Baptiste de Franssu said in a statement.

As part of the overhaul, the bank pledged to screen all its accounts, bringing in anti-money laundering experts to carry out the task. As a result it has closed more than 4,000 accounts since May 2013, most of which were dormant, but 554 of which were closed because they did not meet the bank's new standards for clients.

The IOR moves money around the world to finance Catholic missions and provides banking services for the Pope, clergy and religious orders.

Blatter & Pope

22 NOVEMBER 2013


FIFA President Sepp Blatter has paid the Pope a visit today.

Blatter took time out of his busy schedule to squeeze in a visit to Pope Francis in Rome along with members of the Italian and Argentine rugby teams.

Blatter said he responded to the pope’s request for FIFA to help the favelas of Rio de Janeiro during the 2014 World Cup, with a promise to ‘do what we can.’

That’ll be nothing then.

Francis, a longtime member of the San Lorenzo club in Buenos Aires, now has another football shirt to add to his collection.

“We spoke the same language and it was language of football,” Blatter said. “It was really a meeting between two sportsmen and two football fans.”

And, it should be added, a meeting between two men who have absolute authority over their respective flocks.

“We have 1.2 billion people and (the pope) said, ‘I have no more than 1 billion,”’ Blatter said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, perhaps humbled by his encounter with God’s representative on earth Blatter also chose the occasion to speak out against the abuse of migrant workers in Qatar.

“We deplore what happened there,” Blatter said, whilst also noting that the responsibility for the workers’ fate lies not with FIFA, but with the major European companies building Qatar’s World Cup infrastructure.

“The big companies working there, they are all European,” Blatter said. “The constructor is also responsible for his workers.”

“It was political pressure from European countries to bring this World Cup to Qatar because there was so many economic interests.

“Two of these countries that made pressure on the voting men in FIFA were France and Germany. This is established. This is not new information.

“It’s easy to say all the responsibility lies on FIFA. No, we are part of this responsibility. We are now monitoring the situation and we will come back to it.”



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