Vatican Bank

The Vatican Bank, which is the central bank for the Roman Catholic Church, operates under the name Istituto per Opere Religiosi or IOR, the 'Institute for Religious Works'.

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.