Fisher of Men

John Paul's Life

Pope John Paul II will be beatified Sunday, May 1. In honour of the event, enjoy this video retrospective of the Pope's travels, set to music and with John Paul himself singing Pescador de los Hombres (Fisher of Men) in El Salvador in 1983.

Catch a glimpse (2:50 mark) of the Pope being welcomed by children waving the Vatican flag, with one little girl giving him a big, long hug.



More videos of Pope John Paul are available on the Vatican's GiovanniPaoloII channel on youtube.

Check out The B.C. Catholic's special electronic section on John Paul II's beatification. 

Pray the vote

Archbishop Miller encourages Catholics to vote

Archbishop J. Michael Miller has recorded a video urging Catholics of the Archdiocese of Vancouver to vote in the upcoming federal election on May 2.

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls Catholics to exercise the right to vote," the archbishop said. "As Catholics we believe we have the privilege and the duty to participate in this election."

He went on to say that less than half of eligible voters went to the polls last year, the lowest in Canada's history.

The archdiocese's website also features a special section on the election.

Let it be known throughout the land...

Province of B.C. proclaims May 1 Blessed John Paul II Day 

Shortly after The City of Vancouver  declared May 1 Blessed John Paul II Day, the B.C. government has followed suit with a similar proclamation.

Now, The day of Pope John Paul II's beatification will be officially honoured in every corner of the province and in between.

Miss Lent?

Students share in Christ's Passion

For those suffering from Lent withdraw, Delta PREP students have the cure.

Students from Immaculate Conception Parish, with the help of catechists Carmine Murano and Leanna Canapi, produced a radio play titled "The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ" available for free online.

The play, which began airing on April 10 and runs approximately 40 minutes, relives the final days of the life of Jesus as well as His painful crucifixion. The dialogue is accompanied by a series of songs depicting all of the stages of the Passion.

A beatiful site

B.C. Catholic makes special page dedicated Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II with Our Lady of Czestochowa

Just in time for Pope John Paul II's beatification, The B.C. Catholic has created a special electronic section on its website dedicated to the Pope.

The section features a number of stories on the Pope's legacy, including one about Sister Marie-Simon-Pierre, whose miraculous recovery from Parkinson's disease helped pave the way for the May 1 beatification. About one million pilgrims are expected in Rome for the ceremony.

For those unable to make it to Rome for Sunday, the Archdiocese of Vancouver is celebrating Pope John Paul's beatification at Holy Rosary Cathedral May 1 at 2:30 p.m.

The cathedral is located at 646 Richards Street in downtown Vancouver.

Have monstrance - will travel

A vocations monstrance is coming to a parish near you!

Archbishop J. Michael Miller will bless a Vocations Monstrance on Vocations Sunday, May 15, at the 11 a.m. Mass at Holy Rosary Cathedral in downtown Vancouver.
The monstrance will travel to a different parish each week to promote Adoration for Vocations. Every parish is encouraged to send a representative from their youth group, PREP program, and school.
For more information, go to www.rcav.org/vocations/.
Find answers to your questions about religious vocations at vocation.com/index.aspx.
Watch for the May 9 B.C. Catholic Newspaper Vocations Issue.

The corner of Robson and blessed

Archdiocese building to be named after Pope

The Archdiocese of Vancouver announced that its main office at 150 Robson St. will be renamed in honour of Pope John Paul II's May 1 beatification.

The commemoration will take place April 29, where Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, will lead archdiocesan staff and various dignitaries in celebrating the newly christened John Paul II Pastoral Centre.

Archbishop Miller will also celebrate the beatification of Pope John Paul with a special Mass May 1 at 2:30 p.m. at Holy Rosary Cathedral, at 646 Richards St. downtown Vancouver.

Dear Pope Benedict: Can you explain why....

If you can get a response to a letter to Santa Claus, then why not with a question for the Pope? Of course there is a big difference in the motivation for the responses: the first is motivated by commercial interests and the second by love and concern.

On Good Friday Pope Benedict XVI made an unprecedented appearance on Italian state TV just to answer people's questions.

The TV program, "In His Image," is a Catholic perspectives show that normally airs on Sundays. Its 80-minute special on Good Friday was originally supposed to include three questions for the Pope, but the number was increased to seven because of the great number of questions submitted by viewers.

Read all about what the lucky seven questioners asked the Pope.

Salt + Light Schedule

Salt + Light offers extensive coverage of Easter Triduum and John Paul II Beatification; garners broad support from Canadian television carriers

 

 
TORONTO, April 20, 2011 – Salt + Light, Canada’s leader in Catholic media, announces an extensive broadcast schedule for the Easter Triduum and special celebrations and programs surrounding the May 1st Beatification of Pope John Paul II.

Holy Triduum and Easter Schedule
Salt + Light will air live and repeat broadcasts of Holy Week Masses and devotions celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI from the Vatican. These Masses will include the early-morning Chrism Mass on Thursday, Holy Thursday, The Lord’s Passion and Way of the Cross on Good Friday and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. The full broadcast schedule for Holy Week celebrations can be found at saltandlighttv.org/holyweek

 JPII Beatification
On April 30 and May 1, Salt + Light will carry live, with primetime repeats, the prayer vigil and Mass of Beatification for Pope John Paul II. The Mass of Beatification will air live on May 1 at 3:30am ET, 12:30 PT, with rebroadcasts later on in the day. Salt + Light will also air a variety of programs related to Pope John Paul II including 8 million feet to Rome, a film that follows the lives of eight young Canadians who spontaneously descended on the Vatican to participate in the funeral of JPII, a special Catholic Focus episode on the Legacy on JPII and numerous Witness episodes, including interviews exclusive to Salt + Light with Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki and Cardinal Stanislas Dziwisz, personal secretaries of the late Pope. Full programming details for this historic event can be found at saltandlighttv.org/jpii

Television Carriers Support Salt + Light 
Bell TV (654), Shaw Digital Cable (160), EastLink (356) and Videotron (242) will offer Salt + Light on free preview during this special programming period. In addition, Cogeco Digital (Ontario only, channel 185) and Rogers Digital (240) will support Salt + Light during this special programming period through considerable promotions and advertising. Cogeco offers Salt + Light as part of its digital basic package in Ontario while Rogers carries Salt + Light as part of its VIP package. For complete information, and channel availability, visit saltandlighttv.org/subscribe

Praying on the Patullo?

From the "it couldn't hurt category!"

The Diocese of Montreal is alerting motorists to the danger of crossing the crumbling Champlain Bridge by posting the notice (in French) "Say Your Prayers" atop the bridge entrance. Lower Mainland drivers might want to follow suit by asking for God's help as they cross New Westminster's Patullo Bridge or invoke His protection right through the Massey Tunnel!

Another milestone for Pope Benedict

Pope celebrates six years as Bishop of Rome

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict XVI, which comes only a few days after his 84th birthday on April 16.

“One of his great qualities is his profound goodness. When you listen to him or meet him personally there’s a thorough goodness to the man that communicates itself to others,” American Cardinal Raymond Burke said.

The Pope, who was elected April 19, 2005, has a busy schedule in the near future, from Holy Week to the beatification of his predecessor Pope John Paul II on May 1.

Mercy for Japan, not Blackhawks

Shoring up Japan support with Luongo jersey

 
Students at Our Lady of Mercy Elementary decided they could make a difference in the world, and just in time for the NHL Playoffs.

When a kindergarten girl heard two Grade 6 students make an appeal regarding to aid in Japan at a school assembly, she went home and shared the story with her parents.

Her family was so moved that her father donated a signed Roberto Luongo jersey to be auctioned off online.

For those of you who have given up TV, radio, and/or sports for Lent, Luongo is the Vancouver Canucks' star goaltender and current scourge of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The minimum bid is $500 and all proceeds will be donated to Japan Effort Relief.


The online auction begins Wednesday, April 20 and closes at Thursday, May 5 at midnight.

Go to www.ourladyofmercy.ca for information about the auction.

Project Advance kickoff successful

Maureen Heath, Project Advance

Project Advance - coming to a parish near you!

The Project Advance April 16 Commencement Mass and luncheon was a huge success, says campaign director Maureen Heath. The new video, said Heath, was met with "great applause" and parish leaders seemed to appreciate the format which, though shorter, coveys the vibrancy of the Catholic Church in Vancouver.

Project Advance has been raising money for capital projects and ministries for over two decades while providing churches through a rebate system with funding for their own needs. Read about the 2011 campaign in an upcoming B.C. Catholic.

Happy birthday, dear Pontiff!

Holy Week: the busiest period of the year for the Pope

Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI asked everyone to continue to prepare for Easter through penitence and acts of charity. It was the beginning of Holy Week, the busiest period of the year for the Pope, with a demanding schedule of public appearances of a business nature, never mind the additional personal ones.

The German Pontiff had celebrated his 84th birthday the day before.

After a procession in St. Peter's Square with palm branches, the Pope offered Holy Mass, which took two and a half hours. His homily used some scientific imagery: he described people as caught between two "gravitational fields."

After Mass, the Pope expressed greetings in seven languages to the thousands of young people in the square and said he was looking forward to the World Youth Day celebration in Madrid next August.

And yes, the youths then serenaded the Pope with an abbreviated version of "Happy Birthday" in Italian.

Where in the world is Archbishop Miller?

The Real Madrid tapping Vancouver's faith

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, has the exciting honour of being named a catechist for World Youth Day Madrid 2011 (WYD).

It has become customary at WYD to spend the first three days in prayer and reflection. This year, Archbishop Miller will help catechesis sessions Aug. 17 to 19.

The themes of the catechesis days are Firm in the Faith, Established in Jesus Christ, and Witnesses to Christ in the World.

The archbishop won't be the only one in attendance from the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

The B.C. Catholic, reported earlier in the month that Salt and Light Television will follow a Vancouver delegation of almost 400 pilgrims during WYD.

Do you want to flashback to Flashdance?

Fly college choir performance should prove to be "totally gnarly"

Hey, do you remember the '80s?

Well, the students at Corpus Christi College sure do and are still singing the praises of the much maligned decade.

The Corpus Christi College Chamber Choir will honour the '80s in neon-and-spandex style with two performances of "Flashback to the Eighties: A Day of Totally Awesome Choral Pops" April 30 at the Oakridge United Church.

The choir will present a fresh repertoire of the biggest hits of the 1980s in a choral setting at 3 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. led by artistic director Tony Araujo.

Tickets are available through choir members or from Corpus Christi College at 604-822-6862 or email info@corpuschristi.ca.

The Oakridge United Church is located at 305 W 41 Ave. in Vancouver near Langara College.

Documentary on Westminster Abbey airing Holy Week

Monks chant their way through Holy Week

Scene from This Side of Eden, by Salt + Light TV

This Side of Eden, a documentary by Salt and Light Television about monastic life at Westminster Abbey in Mission, captures life inside the West Coast's Benedictine monastery.

The film follows the monks in their day-to-day lives during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum.

Appropriately, it will be broadcast on both Salt and Light and EWTN. (All time are Pacific Time.)

Salt and Light
Sunday, April 17 at 5:30 p.m.
Monday, April 18 at 10 a.m. 
Wednesday, April 20 at 5 p.m.
(Salt and Light is available through Shaw Channel 160, BellTV Channel 654, and Telus Channel 159.)


EWTN
Sunday, April 17 at 10 p.m.
Tuesday, April 19 at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 23 at 8:30 p.m.


Catholic TV in Boston will also broadcast the film on:
Wednesday, April 20 at 12:30 p.m
Thursday, April 21 at 9:30 p.m.
Friday, April 22 at 5 a.m.
Saturday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, April 24 at 2:30 a.m.
(Catholic TV does not broadcast in Canada, but they stream their programs live through their website at  www.catholictv.com)

Read Father Raymond de Souza's review of the film in this week's B.C. Catholic.

Don't like your bike?

Knights host used bicycle drive on North Shore April 30

Are you tired of that old bike taking up space in your garage, basement, or storage locker but feel uncomfortable launching it into False Creek?

Well, the Knights of Columbus #5423 have a way you can free up space and keep your conscience clean.

Along with local cycling groups like PEDAL, the UBC Bike Kitchen, and the AMS Bike Co-op, the Knights will be hosting a their Used Bicycle Drive April 30 at the North Vancouver Mountain Equipment Co-op.

These other groups will refurbish the bicycles for free bike programs around the Greater Vancouver Area.

Mountain Equipment Co-op is located at 1341 Main St., North Vancouver. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, contact Grand Knight Graham Darling at 604-205-7123 or darlingg@activematerials.ca.

Sharing our digital gifts

Called & Gifted workshop opens people's hearts and minds

The Archdiocese of Vancouver's Stewardship Office recently posted a video on their website featuring the recent "Called & Gifted" workshop at St. Patrick's Parish March 25 and 26.

Sherry Weddell and Keith Strohm, professional facilitators from the Catherine of Siena Institute, were the presenters of the workshop, which the Stewardship Office hosted.

"Charisms make Christ present in very real ways," Strohm said. "We are called to reach out with our giftedness and go out into the world and use the gifts which we have been given."

For more information on the workshop, go to The B.C Catholic's website, where they posted a story on the excitement.

Catholic and proud of it

Michael Coren explains why Catholics are right

The National Post published an excerpt from Catholic TV personality Michael Coren's new book "Why Catholics are Right."

In the excerpt he says that anti-Catholicism has become the last acceptable form of prejudice in society.

He also said that the Catholic Church is the only logical alternative to "a culture where various forms of religious and atheistic fundamentalism, crass materialism and clawing decadence eat away at civility and civilization."

How the CWL connects to Service and Justice

Calling all League members

Evelyn Vollet of the Office of Service and Justice

Evelyn Vollet from the Vancouver Archdiocesan Office of Service and Justice will be the featured speaker when the Catholic Women's League hosts their annual diocesan convention at All Saints Parish in Coquitlam from May 5-7. This year, three new parishes will be on hand for the convention, says diocesan president Gisela Montague. To register, go to www.vancouver.cwl.bc.ca

"We got mad skillz!" - The Men in Black

The Men in Black, priests of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, have put out a challenge to the youth of the archdiocese for this year's Youth Day soccer game. Clay Imoo, Director of OYYAM, caught up with Father James Hughes, Father Gino Aloisio, Father Dave Sajdak, Father Al Lovato and Vocations Director Father Joseph Nguyen. Archbishop J. Michael Miller gives a special message as well as his game predictions. Don't miss this exciting game! Register now for Youth Day happening on May 6 & 7!

Father James Hughes

"We will win! We will win!"

They're going for beer where?

In some countries they do go first to Mass, then to the pub.  It looks as though Rome has a new take on this, with beer available in the crypt below one of its churches.

U.S. top court rules in favour of religious education

Residents have right to claim tax credit on donations

U.S. Supreme Court has ruled April 4 that Arizona residents have a right to claim tax credit for  donations to non-profit groups that provide scholarships to religious schools.

“Parents should be able to choose what’s best for their own children,” attorney David Cortman of the Alliance Defense Fund said. “This ruling empowers parents to do just that.”

The court ruled 5 - 4 to dismiss a lawsuit backed by the American Civil Liberties Union  against an Arizona program that sought to promote school choice.

The conflict was over a 1997 government tax credit program that a allowed taxpayers to donate money towards a variety of private scholarship foundations, rather than paying the same amount to the government through taxes. The a group of citizens claimed that this program amounted to a state establishment of religion. The Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization (ACSTO) argued on the opposite side.

ACSTO is a non-profit groups that gives scholarships to more than 27,000 students attending hundreds of private schools throughout the state.

Final Catholic After Hours session April 10

CFS Director Pavel Reid discusses morality

The Final Catholic After Hours talk will be taking place this Sunday April 10.

For the final session in the series, Pavel Reid, director of Catholic Family Services at the Archdiocese, will do his presentation on "How to discuss morality with everyone."

The talk will take place at the Blarney Stone Public House from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Cover for the event is $6.

The Blarney Stone is located in Gastown at 216 Carrall Street.

The Mystical Bond

Vancouver Chamber Choir to perform Good Friday concert

The Vancouver Chamber Choir will perform a concert of religious and spiritual music on Good Friday, April 22, at the Orpheum Theatre at 8 p.m.

The concert will feature conductor Jon Washburn with the Vancouver Chamber Choir, as well as the Pacifica Singers, the Vancouver Cantata Singers, and the Vancouver Chamber Orchestra.

The pieces performed include Sergei Rachmaninov's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and Imant Raminsh's The Mystical Bond (Songs of Brotherhood).

Tickets are available at the Vancouver Theatre website or Ticketmaster, or phone 1-855-985-ARTS (2787).

The event Orpheum is in downtown Vancouver at 884 Granville Street.

Meet the WYD Crew

Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry posts video for upcoming trip to Madrid

The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (OYYAM) at the Archdiocese of Vancouver has posted a YouTube video introducing the crop of young people from the archdiocese attending World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid.

The footage came from a special event WYD 2011: An Insider's Perspective, with Father Thomas Rosica, CSB, CEO of Salt and Light Television. Father Rosica was also CEO of World Youth Day 2002. The talk took place March 22 at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Burnaby.

During his presentation, Father Rosica announced that Salt and Light will follow the Vancouver delegation during the upcoming WYD.

Archdiocese administration gets restructuring

Dan Moric

The administrative structure of the Archdiocese of Vancouver will undergo a reorganization effective July 1 that includes the creation of a new lay-led office to oversee many of the archdiocese’s most visible departments.

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, said a new position of Archbishop’s Delegate for Administration will be created to oversee offices that directly support the archdiocese’s administration – or curia – including the B.C. Catholic newspaper, IT and Web Services, Communications, Human Resources, the Men’s Hostel, Catholic Cemeteries, First Nations Ministry, Rosemary Heights Retreat Centre, the Catholic Charities Men’s Hostel, and the Door is Open.

The archbishop also announced that Mr. Dan Moric has been chosen as the Delegate for Administration. Mr. Moric is currently Associate Superintendent of the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver.

“Dan is the best possible person to take on this new role,” said Archbishop Miller. “His background with Catholic schools both in teaching and administration makes him ideally suited for the administrative and management responsibilities of his new role.”

Under the restructuring, Mr. Moric will take on many of the offices that have been overseen by Msgr. Mark Hagemoen, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Services and Moderator of the Curia, recently appointed Principal of St. Mark's College and President of Corpus Christi College.

Watch The B.C. Catholic for story and more details.

Happy 125th from the Archdiocese

Church celebrates Vancouver's 125th birthday

Bishop Louis-Joseph D’Herbomez, OMI

Along with the rest of the city, the Archdiocese of Vancouver is celebrating the City of Vancouver's 125th birthday with a special page on its website commemorating this day and looking back at the development of the Church in the region.

When Vancouver was incorporated April 6, 1886, there was already a long history of the Catholic Church in the area.

Bishop Louis-Joseph D’Herbomez, OMI, was made the first bishop of the Vicariate Apostolic of British Columbia in 1864. The Archdiocese of Vancouver did not exist until 1908 when, under Archbishop Augustine Dontenwill, it was raised from the Diocese of New Westminster to an archdiocese.

The city is marking this momentous occasion with a number of events and celebrations.

One Day Without Shoes

Holy Cross Regional Secondary students in Surrey challenged each other to giving up wearing shoes for one day in solidarity with children in developing countries who are at risk from contracting podoconiosis, a disease that causes pain, swelling, and other disfiguration due to prolonged exposure to irritant soil. The students learned about the disease and put together information on how to help through Toms Shoes, a company that donates shoes to a needy child for every pair of shoes they sell. Take a look at the YouTube video the students made of the April 5 event.

The boy who went to heaven

When four-year-old Colton Burpo had a burst appendix in 2003, his parents thought he might die and were praying hard for his recovery when the miracle happened and he survived. Later, according to his dad Todd and mom Sonja, Colton began to talk about being in heaven, greeting family members, including a sister who had died before birth although his parents had never told Colton about his mom's miscarriage. Although some people are calling the story a hoax, others say it has inspired them.

Vatican Bank's image "irreparably" damaged

Money laundering accusations hurts the Church, says bank's chair

Ettore Gotti Tedeschi

News1130 reported yesterday that the chief of the Vatican Bank said their image may have been "irreparably" damaged after the intense media coverage of Italian authorities seizing assets in an anti-laundering probe.

Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, who was named chief of the Institute for Religious Works (Vatican Bank) last year, said the money laundering accusations are false and that they have been working with the Bank of Italy to meet anti-money laundering requirements of Italy and Europe.

Congratulations Sister Marie Zarowny

On May 15, St. Mark's College at UBC will confer a Doctor of Sacred Letters on Sister Marie Zarowny, SSA, for "her distinguished service to her Congregation, to the field of education and, especially, to Christian faith-based communities in assisting them to hear and respond the Gospel call to social transformation."
Among her many accomplishments, Sister Zarowny has been on the front lines of supporting aboriginal peoples who attended Indian Residential Schools and was the first coordinator of the Social Justice Office of the Victoria Diocese founded by Bishop Remi de Roo in 1978.

In America's Heartland: A Pope John Paul II Moment

The Archdiocese is counting down to Pope John Paul's beatification! There will be a special Eucharistic celebration at Holy Rosary Cathedral at 2:30 pm on Pope John Paul's May 1 beatification.

In celebration of JP2's life, here's a video about the historic gathering that happened in Iowa because of a simple farmer's handwritten letter inviting Pope John Paul to visit America's heartland. On October 4 of that year, Pope John Paul made a brief stop in Iowa, an addition to his itinerary. Over 300,000 pilgrims, including non-Catholics, gathered in Urbandale, Iowa, to join the Pope in the celebration of the Eucharist.





To the crowd, the Pope said: "Here in the heartland of America, in the middle of bountiful fields at harvest time, I have come to celebrate the Eucharist. Farmers everywhere provide bread for all humanity, but it is Christ alone who is the Bread of Life. He alone satisfies the deepest hunger of humanity. While we are mindful of the physical hunger of millions of our brothers and sisters, at this Eucharist we are reminded that the deepest hunger lies in the human soul. Even if all the physical hunger of the world were satisfied, the deepest hunger of man will still exist. Therefore i say, come all of you to Christ, He is the Bread of Life. Come of Christ and you will never be hungry again." (source)

Also read the story of the Methodist man who was the pilot of the papal plane, Shepherd One, during Pope John Paul's 1979 visit to the US.

We're all saints in the making

How nice to be reminded that it's our personal holiness that matters, not our achievements.  We hear this in connection with the beatification of Pope John Paul II.  This means that if we think we could never be canonized saints because we have never done any of those heroic deeds like rescuing Jews from the gas chamber or rescuing dying homeless people from the streets of Kolkata we're thinking along the wrong lines.
It seems to be very human to think only in terms of results.  We see this in our courts all the time.  If someone attacks and tries to kill someone, what difference does it make, logically, whether the victim dies?  If the attacker tried his best to kill his victim but didn't manage to, surely his attempt merits the same punishment as if he had succeeded?

Pope Benedict XVI honours his predecessor

Pope John Paul II remembered on sixth anniversary of death

The weekend Marked the sixth anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II.

Rome Reports showed his friend and successor Pope Benedict XVI honouring him on this anniversary at the Sunday Angelus.

"I remember him in prayer with affection as I think of you all. While we journey through Lent and prepare for the feast of Easter, we come with joy to the day when we will also venerate as a saint this great pope and witness of Christ, and rely even more on his intercession."

Diaconate Meeting April 2

Archbishop Miller and Msgr. Smith lead information meeting

There will be a meeting April 2 at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew Kim Parish for men and their wives interested in hearing more about the restoration of the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

The meeting will be led by Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, and Msgr. Gregory Smith.

St. Andrew Kim Parish is located at 10222 161 St., Surrey.

Pope breaks the bank

New Laws take hard stance on money laundering

Reuters reported today that the Vatican will adopt laws that comply with international standards on financial crime.

The new regulations were enacted at midnight April 1.

This comes after Italian authorities seized $31 million (Cdn) of Vatican bank assets as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering in September 2010. Officials at the Vatican Bank, officially named the Institute for Works of Religion, contends that they were only transferring money between accounts

Last year, in the wake of this controversy Pope Benedict XVI ordered internal regulations to see to it that its bank and all other departments adhere to international regulations and standards and cooperate with foreign authorities. 

The laws involve the establishment of a Financial Information Authority which will investigate Vatican employees suspected of violating the laws. Those suspected will be judged by Vatican tribunals and serve time in Italian prison, in accordance to an agreement between the two states. 

Money laundering will now be punishable by up to 12 years in prison.