Paul Marcinkus
Encyclopedia
Paul Casimir Marcinkus (January 15, 1922 – February 20, 2006) was an American
archbishop
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He was best known for his tenure as President of the Vatican Bank
from 1971 through 1989.
, the son of an immigrant window washer who arrived in Cicero in 1914. His father, Mykolas, had left Lithuania
to escape possible induction into the Russian army. Moving to the United States
, he briefly lived in Pittsburgh
before moving to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
, to work for a cousin as a farm hand, then moving to Cicero after finding work in a Chicago
steel mill
. By the time his fourth son, Paulius, arrived, he had started washing windows for the Leo Sheridan Co., a job he would hold for thirty years.
After attending Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Paul was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago
on May 3, 1947, and served parish assignments with both St. Christina's and Holy Cross church on the city's far south side. By 1949, he had been appointed to the archdiocese's matrimonial tribunal, which processed applications to have marriages annulled.
. Upon earning his degree in 1953, he was asked to stay with the Vatican on a full-time basis, and became friends with Giovanni Battista Montini, who would become Pope a decade later. Enrolling in the two-year diplomatic school, Marcinkus was assigned to Bolivia
in 1955 and Canada
four years later, serving as secretary in the Vatican nunciature in both instances. The titles were the equivalent of a secretary at a foreign embassy.
In December, 1959, he returned to Rome to work in the office of the secretariat of state, by which time he had learned enough Italian to serve as an occasional interpreter for Pope John XXIII
. With the ascension of Pope Paul VI
to the papacy, Marcinkus became the prime English translator, also helping handle the arrangements for the pontiff's overseas trips. In addition, his height and muscular build enabled him to serve as a bodyguard for Paul VI, earning him the nickname, "The Gorilla."
On January 6, 1969, he was ordained to the episcopate as Titular Archbishop
of Horta and Secretary of the Roman Curia
. His ferocious protection of the Pope was in evidence two months later when he refused to allow Secret Service agents to be present during a private audience between the pontiff and U.S. President Richard Nixon
, saying, "I'll give you 60 seconds to get out of here or you can explain to the President why the Pope could not see him today."
In 1979, Marcinkus was reported as having been targeted by the infamous Red Brigades
, a far-left terrorist group, for possible kidnapping or assassination, after his address and other documents were found in the apartment of two group members, Valerio Morucci
and Adriana Faranda
.
On September 26, 1981, Marcinkus was appointed Pro-President of Vatican City, making him the third most powerful person in the Vatican, after Pope John Paul II and the secretary of state.
In 1982, he thwarted an assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in Fátima, Portugal
.
He resigned his position on October 30, 1990.
, about his involvement in the delivery of $14.5 million US worth of counterfeit bonds to the Vatican in July 1971, part of a total request of $950 million US worth stated in a letter on Vatican notepaper.
His name and the official letter had arisen during the investigation of an international gangster, who eventually served twelve years in prison. Marcinkus "said he considered the charges against him serious but not based enough on fact that he would violate the Vatican Bank's confidentiality to defend himself. ...back in the States it was agreed on the highest levels that the case against Marcinkus could not be pursued any further."
In July 1982, Marcinkus was implicated in financial scandals being reported on the front pages of newspapers and magazines throughout Europe, particularly the collapse of the Banco Ambrosiano
, in which Propaganda Due
(aka "P2"), a Masonic Lodge
, was involved (Marcinkus had been a director of Ambrosiano Overseas, based in Nassau, Bahamas
, and had been involved with Ambrosiano's chairman, financier Roberto Calvi
, for a number of years). He was also involved with Michele Sindona
, who had links with the Mafia
.
In 1984, Marcinkus was named as a possible accomplice in the supposed murder of Pope John Paul I by investigative journalist David Yallop
in his book In God's Name. Yallop made allegations regarding a number of suspects associated with Marcinkus' business dealings, claiming involvement of members of the Mafia on behalf of the Vatican Bank, further stating that Marcinkus might face criminal exposure, should he be removed from his position at the bank.
Upon the election of Pope John Paul II, Marcinkus was promoted within the Vatican bank and remained in office for several years before the scandal widened, after the body of Calvi, whose Banco Ambrosiano
had dealt with Marcinkus, was found hanging under London
's Blackfriars Bridge
in June 1982. The death of Calvi was seen by some as symbolic, since Propaganda Due referred to themselves as the "Black Friars." Adding to the troubles, journalist Mino Pecorelli, who had been investigating Marcinkus, the Vatican Bank and ties to organized crime
, was found dead in 1979. Marcinkus himself was never charged with a crime.
He stepped aside as head of the Vatican Bank soon after, with a board of laymen assuming control of the bank. The Vatican eventually paid £145 million in a settlement with creditors, with Marcinkus observing in 1986 that: "You can't run the Church on Hail Mary
s." Markincus later said that he was misquoted, what he actually said was :" When my workers come to retire they expect a pension; it's no use my saying to them. 'I'll pay you 400 Hail Marys."
, aged 84, of undisclosed causes.
In 2006 Tom Flannery
's one man play Marcinkus
premiered in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania under the direction of Paul Winarski and starring Greg Korin as the Archbishop. The production has subsequently been produced in Scranton, Pa. and has been optioned for a Chicago
run.
Marcinkus
was also played by actor Rutger Hauer in the Italian film The God's Bankers .
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He was best known for his tenure as President of the Vatican Bank
Vatican Bank
The Institute for Works of Religion , commonly known as the Vatican Bank, is a privately held institute located inside Vatican City run by a professional bank CEO who reports directly to a committee of cardinals, and ultimately to the Pope...
from 1971 through 1989.
Early life
Marcinkus was born in Cicero, IllinoisCicero, Illinois
Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....
, the son of an immigrant window washer who arrived in Cicero in 1914. His father, Mykolas, had left Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
to escape possible induction into the Russian army. Moving to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he briefly lived in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
before moving to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for bottom of the lake, for it is located at the bottom of Lake Winnebago. The population was 42,203 at the 2000 census...
, to work for a cousin as a farm hand, then moving to Cicero after finding work in a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
. By the time his fourth son, Paulius, arrived, he had started washing windows for the Leo Sheridan Co., a job he would hold for thirty years.
After attending Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Paul was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
on May 3, 1947, and served parish assignments with both St. Christina's and Holy Cross church on the city's far south side. By 1949, he had been appointed to the archdiocese's matrimonial tribunal, which processed applications to have marriages annulled.
International career
Marcinkus arrived in Rome in 1950 to study canon law at Gregorian University, and began to accept special assignments from the VaticanHoly See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. Upon earning his degree in 1953, he was asked to stay with the Vatican on a full-time basis, and became friends with Giovanni Battista Montini, who would become Pope a decade later. Enrolling in the two-year diplomatic school, Marcinkus was assigned to Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
in 1955 and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
four years later, serving as secretary in the Vatican nunciature in both instances. The titles were the equivalent of a secretary at a foreign embassy.
In December, 1959, he returned to Rome to work in the office of the secretariat of state, by which time he had learned enough Italian to serve as an occasional interpreter for Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
. With the ascension of Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
to the papacy, Marcinkus became the prime English translator, also helping handle the arrangements for the pontiff's overseas trips. In addition, his height and muscular build enabled him to serve as a bodyguard for Paul VI, earning him the nickname, "The Gorilla."
On January 6, 1969, he was ordained to the episcopate as Titular Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Horta and Secretary of the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
. His ferocious protection of the Pope was in evidence two months later when he refused to allow Secret Service agents to be present during a private audience between the pontiff and U.S. President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, saying, "I'll give you 60 seconds to get out of here or you can explain to the President why the Pope could not see him today."
In 1979, Marcinkus was reported as having been targeted by the infamous Red Brigades
Red Brigades
The Red Brigades was a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organisation, based in Italy, which was responsible for numerous violent incidents, assassinations, and robberies during the so-called "Years of Lead"...
, a far-left terrorist group, for possible kidnapping or assassination, after his address and other documents were found in the apartment of two group members, Valerio Morucci
Valerio Morucci
Valerio Morucci is an Italian former terrorist, who was a member of the Red Brigades and who took part in the kidnapping and assassination of Aldo Moro in 1978.-Biography:...
and Adriana Faranda
Adriana Faranda
Adriana Faranda is an Italian former terrorist, who was a member of the Red Brigades during the kidnapping of Aldo Moro.-Biography:Faranda was born at Tortorici, in eastern Sicily....
.
On September 26, 1981, Marcinkus was appointed Pro-President of Vatican City, making him the third most powerful person in the Vatican, after Pope John Paul II and the secretary of state.
In 1982, he thwarted an assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in Fátima, Portugal
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
.
He resigned his position on October 30, 1990.
Vatican Banker
Marcinkus was the president of the Istituto per le Opere di Religione, also known as the Vatican Bank, from 1971 to 1989. As early as April 24, 1973, Marcinkus was questioned in his Vatican office by federal prosecutor William Aronwald and Bill Lynch, head of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the United States Department of JusticeUnited States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, about his involvement in the delivery of $14.5 million US worth of counterfeit bonds to the Vatican in July 1971, part of a total request of $950 million US worth stated in a letter on Vatican notepaper.
His name and the official letter had arisen during the investigation of an international gangster, who eventually served twelve years in prison. Marcinkus "said he considered the charges against him serious but not based enough on fact that he would violate the Vatican Bank's confidentiality to defend himself. ...back in the States it was agreed on the highest levels that the case against Marcinkus could not be pursued any further."
In July 1982, Marcinkus was implicated in financial scandals being reported on the front pages of newspapers and magazines throughout Europe, particularly the collapse of the Banco Ambrosiano
Banco Ambrosiano
Banco Ambrosiano was an Italian bank which collapsed in 1982. At the centre of the bank's failure was its chairman, Roberto Calvi and his membership in the illegal Masonic Lodge Propaganda Due...
, in which Propaganda Due
Propaganda Due
Propaganda Due , or P2, was a Masonic lodge operating under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of Italy from 1945 to 1976 , and a pseudo-Masonic or "black" or "covert" lodge operating illegally from 1976 to...
(aka "P2"), a Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
, was involved (Marcinkus had been a director of Ambrosiano Overseas, based in Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, and had been involved with Ambrosiano's chairman, financier Roberto Calvi
Roberto Calvi
Roberto Calvi was an Italian banker dubbed "God's Banker" by the press because of his close association with the Holy See. A native of Milan, Calvi was Chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed in one of modern Italy's biggest political scandals...
, for a number of years). He was also involved with Michele Sindona
Michele Sindona
Michele Sindona was an Italian banker and convicted felon. Known in banking circles as "The Shark", Sindona was a member of Propaganda Due , a secret lodge of Italian Freemasonry, and had clear connections to the Mafia...
, who had links with the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
.
In 1984, Marcinkus was named as a possible accomplice in the supposed murder of Pope John Paul I by investigative journalist David Yallop
David Yallop
David Anthony Yallop is an agnostic British author who writes chiefly about unsolved crimes. In the 1970s he also contributed scripts for a number of BBC comedy shows...
in his book In God's Name. Yallop made allegations regarding a number of suspects associated with Marcinkus' business dealings, claiming involvement of members of the Mafia on behalf of the Vatican Bank, further stating that Marcinkus might face criminal exposure, should he be removed from his position at the bank.
Upon the election of Pope John Paul II, Marcinkus was promoted within the Vatican bank and remained in office for several years before the scandal widened, after the body of Calvi, whose Banco Ambrosiano
Banco Ambrosiano
Banco Ambrosiano was an Italian bank which collapsed in 1982. At the centre of the bank's failure was its chairman, Roberto Calvi and his membership in the illegal Masonic Lodge Propaganda Due...
had dealt with Marcinkus, was found hanging under London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is near the Inns of Court and Temple Church, along with Blackfriars station...
in June 1982. The death of Calvi was seen by some as symbolic, since Propaganda Due referred to themselves as the "Black Friars." Adding to the troubles, journalist Mino Pecorelli, who had been investigating Marcinkus, the Vatican Bank and ties to organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
, was found dead in 1979. Marcinkus himself was never charged with a crime.
He stepped aside as head of the Vatican Bank soon after, with a board of laymen assuming control of the bank. The Vatican eventually paid £145 million in a settlement with creditors, with Marcinkus observing in 1986 that: "You can't run the Church on Hail Mary
Hail Mary
The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
s." Markincus later said that he was misquoted, what he actually said was :" When my workers come to retire they expect a pension; it's no use my saying to them. 'I'll pay you 400 Hail Marys."
Later life
He returned to the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1990 before retiring to Arizona, where he lived as an assistant parish priest, playing golf whenever he could. He declined to discuss his role in the Ambrosiano scandal. Archbishop Marcinkus died in Sun City, ArizonaSun City, Arizona
Sun City is a census-designated place and unincorporated town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 38,309 at the 2000 census...
, aged 84, of undisclosed causes.
In 2006 Tom Flannery
Tom Flannery
Tom Flannery is an American singer-songwriter and playwright from Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. Allmusic has called him "one of the most gifted songwriters to emerge at the turn of the century." After three critically acclaimed albums he...
's one man play Marcinkus
Marcinkus
Marcinkus is a play,by American author Tom Flannery.The play had its debut in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania in July 2006 at the Arts YOUniverse center for the applied and living arts. The production was under the direction of Paul Winarski and starred Greg Korin as the Archbishop...
premiered in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania under the direction of Paul Winarski and starring Greg Korin as the Archbishop. The production has subsequently been produced in Scranton, Pa. and has been optioned for a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
run.
Marcinkus
Marcinkus
Marcinkus is a play,by American author Tom Flannery.The play had its debut in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania in July 2006 at the Arts YOUniverse center for the applied and living arts. The production was under the direction of Paul Winarski and starred Greg Korin as the Archbishop...
was also played by actor Rutger Hauer in the Italian film The God's Bankers .
See also
- Propaganda DuePropaganda DuePropaganda Due , or P2, was a Masonic lodge operating under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of Italy from 1945 to 1976 , and a pseudo-Masonic or "black" or "covert" lodge operating illegally from 1976 to...
- Banco AmbrosianoBanco AmbrosianoBanco Ambrosiano was an Italian bank which collapsed in 1982. At the centre of the bank's failure was its chairman, Roberto Calvi and his membership in the illegal Masonic Lodge Propaganda Due...
- Emanuela OrlandiEmanuela OrlandiEmanuela Orlandi was a citizen of Vatican City, who mysteriously disappeared on June 22, 1983.-Disappearance:Orlandi, then 15-year-old, vanished on June 22, 1983. She was in her second year at a liceo scientifico in Rome...
- Archbishop GildayArchbishop GildayArchbishop Gilday is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists in The Godfather Part III. He is portrayed by Donal Donnelly. His character is said to have been based on Paul Marcinkus....
(movie character allegedly based on Marcinkus)
Additional sources
- BBC News Online, "Scandal-hit Vatican banker dies", 21 February 2006
- IndependentOnline, "Priest at the heart of 'God's banker' scandal dies at 84", 22 February 2006
- Malachi MartinMalachi MartinMalachi Brendan Martin Ph.D. was a Catholic priest, theologian, writer on the Catholic Church, and professor at the Vatican's Pontifical Biblical Institute. He held three doctorates and was the sole author of sixteen books covering religious and geopolitical topics, which were published in eight...
- Rich Church, Poor Church (Putnam, New York, 1984) (ISBN 0-399-12906-5) - J.G. Sandom - Gospel Truths, Bantam/Random House, 1992 & 2009 (ISBN 0553589970)