THE VATICAN BANK IS THE MAIN SHAREHOLDER OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST ARMAMENTS INDUSTRY

Perhaps few people know that the Pietro Beretta Ltda (the largest arms industry in the world) is controlled by Holding SpA Beretta and that the majority shareholder of Holding SpA Beretta, after Gussalli Ugo Beretta, is the IOR. Works of Religion), commonly known as the Vatican Bank, a private institution founded in 1942 by Pope Pius XII and based in Vatican City.

Rome was not built in a day, nor the Vatican, let alone its present opulence. This has its roots in the fourth century of the Christian era, when Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and placed at the disposal of Pope Sylvester I a colossal fortune - indeed made him the first rich Pope in history.

The Catholic Church is the only religious organization in the world whose headquarters is an independent state: the Vatican City. With its 2 km² of surface the Vatican is much smaller than many golf courses in the world; And to go without haste does not take much more than an hour; counting their wealth, however, would take much longer.

The modern opulence of the Vatican is based on the generosity of Benito Mussolini, who, thanks to the signing of the Lateran Treaty between his government and the Vatican, granted the Catholic Church a series of guarantees and measures of protection. The Holy See succeeded in being recognized as a sovereign State, benefiting from the tax exemption of its property to benefit its citizens, who did not have to pay customs duties for what they imported from abroad. Diplomatic immunity was granted to him and his diplomats began to enjoy the privileges of the profession, as well as foreign diplomats recognized by the Holy See. Mussolini promised to introduce the teaching of the Catholic religion in all schools in the country and left the institution of marriage under The aegis of canonical laws, which did not admit divorce. The benefits the Vatican received were enormous - among them the tax benefits were overwhelming.

In 1933, the Vatican once again demonstrated its ability to establish profitable deals with fascist governments. The concordat of 1929, signed with Mussolini, was followed by another one between the Holy See and the Third Reich of Hitler. Cardinal Francesco Pacelli was one of the key figures in the pact with Mussolini: his brother, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, future Pope Pius XII, was responsible for negotiating as Vatican Secretary of State, signing a treaty with Hitler's Germany. Pius XII knew Germany well. He had been a nuncio in Berlin during World War I, and then, as Secretary of State of Pius XI, had numerous interventions in the direction that German politics was taking. In this capacity he intervened decisively in the encyclical of Pius XI, known as "Mit Brennender Sorge" (which may translate "With ardent concern"). The initiative of the encyclical went, contrary to what is believed, of the German bishops, being the first draft written in Rome by Cardinal Faulhaber. Then Cardinal Pacelli, who spoke German, gave him the final form, presented to Pius XI, and was then signed and published. Despite the constant and great world pressure, Pope Pius XII always refused to excommunicate Hitler and Mussolini; His pontificate was characterized by the adoption of a false stance of neutrality. When the Nazis invaded Poland, Pope Pius XII refused to condemn the invasion; One of the greatest advantages that the Vatican would gain from the very lucrative agreement it had with Hitler was the confirmation of Kirchensteuer, an ecclesiastical tax; It is a state tax which even today the German faithful must pay, and can only escape if they renounce their religion. In practice, very few give up. This tax alone accounts for between 8 and 10% of the total taxes levied by the German government.

 

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