The Vatican Exposed: Money, Murder, and the Mafia (19 page)

Alberto Alboni, bishop of Livorno. Initiated 8-5-58. I.D. #7-
2431.

Pio Abrech, member of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops.
11-27-67. #63-143.

Gottardi Alessandro, president of Fratelli Maristi. 6-14-59.

Fiorenzo Angelini, bishop of Messenel in Greece. 10-14-57.
#14-005.

Augustin Bea, cardinal, Vatican secretary of state under Pope
John XXIII and Pope Paul VI.

Sebastiano Baggio, cardinal, prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops. 8-14-67. #85-1640. Masonic code name "SEBA."
Cardinal Baggio served as the Vatican secretary of state under Pope
John Paul II.

Salvatore Baldassarri, bishop of Ravenna. 2-19-58. #4315-19.
"BALSA."

Cleto Belluchi, coadjutor bishop of Fermo. 6-4-68. #12-217.

Luigi Bettazzi, bishop of Ivera, Italy. 5-11-66. #1347-45.
"LUBE."

Franco Biffi, rector of St. John Lateran Pontifical University
and private confessor to Pope Paul VI. 8-15-59. "BIFRA."

Gaetano Bonicelli, bishop of Albano, Italy. #63-1428. "BOGA."

Alberto Bovone, substitute secretary of the Sacred Office. 3-
30-67. #254-3. "ALBO."

Mario Brini, archbishop, Vatican secretary of Chinese, Orientals, and Pagans, and member of the Pontifical Commission to
Russia. 7-7-68. #15670. "MABR.I."

Annibale Bugnini, archbishop, author of the reformed Catholic
liturgy Novus Ordi Mass. 4-23-63. #1365-75. "BUAN."

Michele Buro, bishop, prelate of the Pontifical Commission to
Latin America. 3-21-69. #140-2. "BUMI."

Agostino Cacciavillan, Vatican secretarat of state. 11-6-60.
#13-154.

Umberto Cameli, director in Office of the Ecclesiastical Affairs
of Italy in regard to education in Catholic doctrine. 9-5-57. #21-
014. "GICA."

Agostino Casaroli, cardinal. 9-28-57. #41-076. "CASA." Cardinal Casaroli served as the Vatican secretary of state under Pope
John Paul II from 1979 until his retirement in 1989.

Flaminio Cerruti, chief of the Office of the University of Congregation Studies. 4-2-70. #76-2154. "CEFLA."

Luigi Dadagio, bishop and papal nuncio to Spain. 9-8-67. #43B. "LUDA."

Enzio D'Antonio, archbishop of Trivento. 6-21-69. 3214-53.

Donate De Bons, bishop. 6-24-68. #321-02. "DEBO."

Aldo Del Monte, bishop of Novara, Italy. 8-25-69. #32-012.
"ADELMO."

Giuseppe Ferraioli, member of the Sacred Congregation for
Public Affairs. 11-24-69. #004-125. "GIFE."

Angelinin Fiorenzo, bishop, Vicar General of Roman Hospitals
and Commendator of the Holy Spirit. 10-14-57.

Vito Gemmiti, Sacred Congregation of Bishops. 3-25-68. #54-
13. "VIGE."

Alessandro Gottardi, archbishop of Trent and Procurator and
Postulator General of Fratelli Maristi. 6-13-59. "ALGO."

Carlo Grazinai, rector of the Vatican Minor Seminary. 7-23-61.
#156-3. "GRACA."

Antonio Greganin, Tribune of First Causes for Beatification.
10-19-67. #8-45. "GREA."

Pio Laghi, papal nuncio to Argentina. 8-24-69. #0-538.
"LAPI." Monsignor Laghi later served, under Pope John Paul II,
as papal nuncio to the United States.

Giovanni Lajolo, member of the Council of Public Affairs of
the Church. 7-27-70. #21-1397. "LAGI."

Angelo Lanzoni, chief of the Office of Vatican Secretary of
State. 9-24-56. #6-324. "LANA."

Virgillio Levi (alias Levine), assistant director of the official
Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore. 7-4-58. #241-3. "VILE." Under Pope John Paul II, Monsignor Levi came to manage the Vatican
radio station.

Lino Lozza, chancellor of Rome Academy of St. Thomas
Aquinas of Catholic Religion. 7-23-69. #12-768. "LOLL"

Archille Lienart, cardinal, bishop of Lilie, France. Grand Master
of Masonic lodges, Cardinal Lienart represented the progressive
forces at the Second Vatican Council.

Pasquale Macchi, cardinal, Pope Paul VI"s Prelate of Honor
and private secretary. 4-23-58. #5463-2. "MAPA."

Francesco Marchisano, Prelate of Honor of the Pope and secretary for seminaries and universities. 2-4-61. #4536-3. "FRAMA."

Salvatore Marsili, abbot of the Order of St. Benedict of Finalpia
near Moderna, Italy. 7-2-63. #1278." "SALMA."

Antonio Mazza, archbishop of Velia and secretary general of
Holy Year, 1975. 4-14-71. #054-329. "MANU."

Dino Monduzzi, regent of the Pontifical House. 3-11-67.
#190-2. "MONDI."

Marcello Morgante, bishop of Ascoli Piceno in East Italy. 7-22-
55. #78-3601. "MORMA."

Teuzo Natalini, vice president of the Archives of the Secretariat
of the Vatican. 6-17-67. #21-44d. "NATE."

Carmelo Nigro, rector of the Pontifical Seminary of Major
Studies. 12-21-70. #23-154. "CARNI."

Virgillio Noe, head of the Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship. 4-3-61. #43652-21. "VINO."

Vittorie Palestra, legal council of the Sacred Rota of the Vatican
State. 6-6-43. #1965. "PAVI."

Salvatore Pappalardo, cardinal and archbishop of Palermo. 4-
15-68. "SALPA."

Michele Pellegrino, cardinal and archbishop of Turin. 5-2-60.
#352-36. "PALMI." Cardinal Pellegrino had been dubbed "Protector of the Church" by Pope Paul VI.

Mario Pimpo, vicar of the Office of General Affairs. 3-15-70.
#793-43. "PIMA."

Pio Vito Pinto, attache of the Vatican secretary of state and
notary of the Supreme Tribunal and of the Apostolic Signature. 42-70. #3317-42. "PIPIVI."

Ugo Poletti, cardinal and vicar of the Diocese of Rome. 2-17-
69. #32-1425. "UPO." Cardinal Poletti also served as president of Pontifical Works and the Preservation of the Faith and president of
the Liturgical Academy.

Mario Rizzi, prelate bishop of the Honor of the Holy Father,
the Pope and member of the Sacred Congregation of Oriental
Rites. 9-16-69. #43-179. "MARI," also MONMARI (in recognition of his status as a monsignor).

Florenzo Romita, member of the Sacred Congregation of the
Clergy. 4-21-56. #52-142. "FIRO."

Pietro Rossano, member of the Sacred Congregation of NonChristian Religions. 2-12-68. #3421-a. "PIRO."

Aurelio Sabbatani, archbishop of Giustiniana, Milar Province,
Italy and first secretary supreme of the Apostolic Signature. 6-22-
69. #87-42. "ASA."

Francesco Santangelo, substitute general of Defense Legal
Counsel. 11-12-70. #32-096. "FRASA."

Pietro Santini, vice official of the Vicar. 8-23-64. #326-11.
"SAPI."

Gaetano Scanagatta, member of the Sacred Congregation of
the Clergy and the Commission of Pomei and Loreto. 9-23-71.
#42-023. "GASCA."

Mario Schierano, Titular bishop of Arida (Acri in Cosenza
Province, Italy) and chief military chaplain of the Italian Armed
Forces. 7-3-59. #14-3641. "MASCHL"

Domenico Semproni, member of the Tribunal of the Vicarate
of the Vatican. 4-16-60. #00-12. "DOSE."

Mario Giuseppe Sensi, titular archbishop of Sardi (Asia Minor
near Smyrna) and papal nuncio to Portugal. 11-2-67. #18911-47.
"GIMASE."

Leo Suenens, cardinal and protector of the Church of St. Peter
in Chains (outside Rome). 6-15-67. #21-64. "LESU."

Dino Trabalzini, bishop of Rieti (Reate, Perugia in Italy) and
auxiliary bishop of Southern Rome. 2-6-65. #61-956. "TRADI."

Antonio Travia, titular archbishop of Termini Imerese and head
of Catholic Schools. 9-15-67. #16-141. "ATRA."

Vittorio Trocchi, secretary for the Catholic Laity in the Consistory of the Vatican State Consultations. 7-12-62. #3-896.
"TROVI."

Roberto Tucci, director general of Vatican Radio. 6-21-57.
#42-58. "TURO."

Piero Vergari, head protocol officer of the Vatican Office Segnatura. 12-14-70. #3241-6. "PIVE."

Jean Villot, cardinal and secretary of state under Pope Paul VI.
"JEANNI" and "ZURIGO." Cardinal Villot served as Camerlengo
(Treasurer) under Pope John Paul II.

The publication of the list led to several arrests (including the
arrest of Gelli, who managed to escape from prison by bribing a
guard) for criminal conspiracy, the dismissal of two cabinet members,
and the resignation of Italy's justice minister Adolfo Sarti. Sarti was
not named, but a document found in Gelli's home showed that the
justice minister had applied for membership.14

When Michele Sindona joined P-2 in 1964, he appeared before
Grand Master Licio Gelli and took the following oath: "I swear to all
who are present, I swear to all whose identities are sealed in the vaults
of Propaganda 2, and especially I swear to your Worshipful MasterNaja Hannah ("King Cobra"-Gelli's Masonic name)-that I will be
loyal to our brothers and to the cause. I swear on this steel (Gelli
handed Sindona an axe) to fight against the evils of Communism, to
strike a blow in the face of liberalism, and to fight for the establishment of a presidential government. I swear to help my brothers and
never betray them. And if I fail, if I should perjure myself (Gelli, at
this point in the ceremony, cut a photograph of Sindona into four
pieces), my body should be cut into pieces (Gelli tossed the pieces
into a fire) and burned to ashes like the ashes of this image."ls

As a member of P-2, Sindona became fast friends with Paul
Marcinkus, a rough-and-tough Catholic cleric from Chicago.
Marcinkus's parents were Lithuanian immigrants who spoke little English and struggled to make ends meet. His father cleaned windows and
his mother worker in a bakery. During his high school career between
1936 and 1940, Marcinkus was an outstanding football player who
intimidated all others on the field. He measured six feet three inches
and weighed 230 pounds. Upon graduation he was offered scholarships, but decided to become a priest. He was ordained in 1947.

After serving as a parish priest in Chicago, he became assigned to
the Vatican Secretary of State's office in 1952, thanks to the intervention of his patron Cardinal Samuel Stritch.

In 1964 Pope Paul VI, during a visit to downtown Rome, was in
danger of being trampled to death by an overly enthusiastic crowd.
Marcinkus came to the rescue. Using shoulders, elbows, and hands,
he cleared a way through the crowds for the cowering pontiff. The
following day Paul VI appointed him as a papal advisor and "unofficial" bodyguard. From that day on, he became known in ecclesiastical
circles as "the Gorilla."

Marcinkus traveled with "the pilgrim pope" to India, Portugal,
Turkey, and the United States. During Paul VI's visit to the Philippines, he saved the Holy Father from an assassination attempt. He
was naturally outgoing and developed quick friendships. He loved
good liquor and good cigars and could play golf better than any Scottish Presbyterian. Small wonder that the hierarchy, including the
Holy Father, fancied the lovable hulk from Chicago to be a natural
businessman. In 1964 he was consecrated a bishop, a prelato d'onore,
and assigned as a special assistant to Cardinal Alberto di Jorio. In
1967 he joined the Masonic Order of Propaganda 2. In 1969 he met
his lodge brother Michele Sindona, who had been appointed as Paul
VI's financial advisor with complete control of all Vatican finances.
The meeting seemed providential and propitious. Bishop Paul
Marcinkus had been appointed to replace Cardinal Vagnozzi as president of the Vatican Bank. In Sindona's eyes, Marcinkus was the perfect appointment. "I have no banking experience," the "Gorilla"
openly admitted to the press.'6

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must
I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me
good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-except God
alone. You know the commandments: `Do not commit
adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false
testimony, honor your father and your mother. " "All
these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. When Jesus
heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell
everything you have andgive to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Luke 18:18-22

he first step in unloading the Vatican's vast holdings in Italy,
since such holdings were now deemed taxable by the Italian
government, was the selling of Societa Generale Immobilaire that
had produced a fortune in earnings for the Roman Catholic Church since Bernardino Nogara had purchased the Italian construction
company in 1934, during the Great Depression. In 1969 Immobilaire shares were selling for 350 lire. Michele Sindona purchased 143
million shares from the Vatican at double the market price-700 lire
per share-with money that had been illegally converted to his
account from deposits at Banca Privata Finanziaria.I Sindona was
willing to pay much more than the shares were worth in order to win
favor with the Holy See. What's more, he was paying with the money
that he had stolen from depositors at his various banks.