Vatican Bank Dismisses Couple Following New Workplace Marriage Ban
The Vatican Bank has terminated the employment of two staff members whose recent marriage violated a newly imposed ban on employee unions. The decision was made public in a statement on Wednesday, with the bank, officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion, explaining that the dismissal was necessary to uphold its new internal regulations.
The bank’s statement highlighted that the formation of a married couple among staff members conflicted with its updated policy, which aims to maintain transparency and impartiality. “This decision, taken with deep regret, was dictated by the need to preserve transparency and impartiality in the Institute’s activities, and in no way intended to question the right of two people to be united in marriage,” the bank stated.
The policy, introduced in May, seeks to avoid conflicts of interest in the institution, which employs around 100 people, all working in the same location. However, the couple’s lawyer, Laura Sgro, noted that her clients had informed the bank of their intent to marry back in February, prior to the regulation coming into effect. The couple, whose identities have not been revealed, were dismissed on October 1 and have three children together.
Sgro has strongly contested the decision, calling it “null, illegitimate, and seriously detrimental to the fundamental rights of individuals and workers.” She also mentioned that an appeal for exemption from the rule was sent to Pope Francis and the bank’s director, Gian Franco Mammi, but neither responded.
The Vatican Bank has been under scrutiny for its financial management, with Pope Francis launching reforms in 2013 aimed at curbing corruption and bringing more transparency. High-profile convictions, including that of former bank president Angelo Caloia and Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, have resulted from these efforts to clean up the institution.
