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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Vatican	Anthony	Friday, March 6, 2015
Question: I was talking to a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses and he was telling me that the Vatican Bank is the main shareholder in this Italian weapons manufacturing firm called Pietro Beretta. He says that it's immoral for the Church to be making money coming from the manufacturing of weapons. Brother, I just want to know what your thoughts are on this? Thank You.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Anthony: I have found no credible source to verify this rumor. The websites and blogs out there just repeat the same information, but offer no original source. This story was posted in Feb 2012 on the Italian blogosphere and then by an online publication, Cronache Laiche (Lay Chronicles). A few days later, the publication updated it with a press release from Fabbrica Armi Pietro Beretta (FAPB) denying that IOR (Istituto per le Opere di Religione = the Vatican Bank) has any stake in Beretta Holding or in any company controlled by the holding. The press release reaffirmed that Beretta Holding is a private company owned by the Beretta family. FAPB is wholly owned by Beretta Holding, which is controlled by the financial vehicle owned by the family, UPIFRA, a company registered in Luxembourg. Shareholding structure of UPIFRA and Beretta Holding: In other words, this story is just another Internet hoax. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Vatican

Anthony

Friday, March 6, 2015

Question:

I was talking to a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses and he was telling me that the Vatican Bank is the main shareholder in this Italian weapons manufacturing firm called Pietro Beretta. He says that it's immoral for the Church to be making money coming from the manufacturing of weapons. Brother, I just want to know what your thoughts are on this? Thank You.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Anthony:

I have found no credible source to verify this rumor. The websites and blogs out there just repeat the same information, but offer no original source.

This story was posted in Feb 2012 on the Italian blogosphere and then by an online publication, Cronache Laiche (Lay Chronicles). A few days later, the publication updated it with a press release from Fabbrica Armi Pietro Beretta (FAPB) denying that IOR (Istituto per le Opere di Religione = the Vatican Bank) has any stake in Beretta Holding or in any company controlled by the holding. The press release reaffirmed that Beretta Holding is a private company owned by the Beretta family. FAPB is wholly owned by Beretta Holding, which is controlled by the financial vehicle owned by the family, UPIFRA, a company registered in Luxembourg.

Shareholding structure of UPIFRA and Beretta Holding:

In other words, this story is just another Internet hoax.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum