Vatican Bank

The Vatican Bank is a common name given to the Istituto per Opere Religiosi (IOR) or Institute for Religious Works, the central bank for the Roman Catholic Church located in Vatican City.

Several thoroughly documented books highly critical of the Vatican Bank's historical relations with Nazi governments in Germany and especially in Nazi Croatia engendered initial defensive hostility and controversy. The controversy centers on conclusions drawn from the documentation rather than the documents themselves. It is expected that release of further clarifying documentation will clear the air.