BREAKING NEWS

Pope Francis sets up special review of Vatican bank

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has set up a special commission to review the activities of the scandal-plagued Vatican bank to ensure that it operated in "harmony" with the mission of the Catholic Church, the Vatican said on Wednesday.
The appointment of the five-member panel, which includes four prelates and a woman Harvard professor, is the boldest move yet by Francis to get to grips with a bank that embarrassed the church for decades.
The Institute for Works of Religion (IOR) as the bank is formally known, has long been tarnished by accusations that it has failed to meet international transparency standards intended to combat money laundering and tax evasion.
The Vatican said in a statement the commission would enable Francis "to know better the judicial position and the activities of the Institute to allow an improved harmonization with the mission of the universal church".