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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Vatican City tourists' card payments stopped by higher power | Vatican City tourists' card payments stopped by higher power |
| (21 days later) | |
| If there's one thing more annoying than queueing for hours for the Sistine Chapel, it's queueing for hours only to be told that the marvels of Michelangelo's ceiling are off limits unless you have cash in your wallet. | If there's one thing more annoying than queueing for hours for the Sistine Chapel, it's queueing for hours only to be told that the marvels of Michelangelo's ceiling are off limits unless you have cash in your wallet. |
| Tourists and pilgrims flocking to the Vatican City since New Year's Day found that they had to pay for all purchases by cash or cheque after electronic transactions were suspended following concerns over the city state's compliance with international banking regulations, including those concerning money laundering. | Tourists and pilgrims flocking to the Vatican City since New Year's Day found that they had to pay for all purchases by cash or cheque after electronic transactions were suspended following concerns over the city state's compliance with international banking regulations, including those concerning money laundering. |
| The move – which left the Holy See embarrassed and scrambling for a solution – affected customers at the Vatican's well-stocked pharmacy, as well as at its several shops and post office, and, most significantly, its museums – home to the Sistine Chapel and other masterpieces. A notice on the museums' website apologised for any inconvenience caused by the problem, which it blamed on "reasons beyond [its] control". | The move – which left the Holy See embarrassed and scrambling for a solution – affected customers at the Vatican's well-stocked pharmacy, as well as at its several shops and post office, and, most significantly, its museums – home to the Sistine Chapel and other masterpieces. A notice on the museums' website apologised for any inconvenience caused by the problem, which it blamed on "reasons beyond [its] control". |
| It is understood that Deutsche Bank Italia (DBI), which has handled bank card payments on Vatican soil until now, was refused authorisation by the Bank of Italy (BoI) to continue its activities due to concerns over the city state's status concerning international banking regulations. | It is understood that Deutsche Bank Italia (DBI), which has handled bank card payments on Vatican soil until now, was refused authorisation by the Bank of Italy (BoI) to continue its activities due to concerns over the city state's status concerning international banking regulations. |
| A source at the BoI, who did not want to be named, told the Guardian it had been decided in December that neither DBI nor any other Italian-registered bank should be granted permission to work on Vatican territory because of its failure to meet certain "preconditions" concerning, among other things, efforts to crack down on money laundering. | A source at the BoI, who did not want to be named, told the Guardian it had been decided in December that neither DBI nor any other Italian-registered bank should be granted permission to work on Vatican territory because of its failure to meet certain "preconditions" concerning, among other things, efforts to crack down on money laundering. |
| Electronic payments will continue to be suspended until the Vatican finds a bank to replace DBI – a task the Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said was already under way. He declined to comment on the reported cause of the suspension, saying only that he expected it to be "brief". | Electronic payments will continue to be suspended until the Vatican finds a bank to replace DBI – a task the Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said was already under way. He declined to comment on the reported cause of the suspension, saying only that he expected it to be "brief". |
| In recent years the Vatican has shown a desire to open up its financial operations and rectify anomalies, both practically – by modifying laws in order to comply with international standards on financial crime – and symbolically- by allowing journalists into the highly secretive Vatican bank, or Institute for Works of Religion (IOR). | In recent years the Vatican has shown a desire to open up its financial operations and rectify anomalies, both practically – by modifying laws in order to comply with international standards on financial crime – and symbolically- by allowing journalists into the highly secretive Vatican bank, or Institute for Works of Religion (IOR). |
| Progress, however, has not been straightforward. In March, while the Vatican was declaring its ambition to get on the EU's hallowed money-laundering "white list", the US state department added it to another, less gratifying one, saying it was "vulnerable" and "of concern". In July a report by Moneyval, a department of the Council of Europe, praised the city-state for advances made but found continuing failures in some key areas, particularly the management of the IOR. | Progress, however, has not been straightforward. In March, while the Vatican was declaring its ambition to get on the EU's hallowed money-laundering "white list", the US state department added it to another, less gratifying one, saying it was "vulnerable" and "of concern". In July a report by Moneyval, a department of the Council of Europe, praised the city-state for advances made but found continuing failures in some key areas, particularly the management of the IOR. |
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