The Vatican is not "a den of thieves," and such insinuations are an injustice to employees who are proud to serve the pope and the church, said Archbishop Angelo Becciu, a top official in the Vatican Secretariat of State.
Necessary economic and administrative reforms and countermeasures have been taken to address any problems, he told the Italian weekly Panorama in an interview published in the issue dated Jan. 20.
"I must reiterate firmly that we are not a bunch of corrupt and incompetent people," he said in a lengthy interview conducted at the Vatican Dec. 31.
"The Vatican is not a den of thieves. To represent it as such constitutes an absolute falsehood. I find it extremely unjust that our employees, proudly carrying out a service for the pope and the church, have gotten to the point, for some time now, of being ashamed to tell people they work here," he told the weekly.
Archbishop Becciu, 67, has been substitute secretary for general affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State — a job similar to a chief of staff — since 2011.