Italy 1977 to 1982: Parliamentary commission of inquiry into the P2 lodge finds that the Vatican bank IOR covertly provided money for the takeover of the Rizzoli publishing house and the Corriere della Sera and held shares through nominees

The Italian parliamentary commission on the P2 Masonic lodge under Tina Anselmi presented its majority report in July 1984. Among other things it examined how the lodge under Licio Gelli and Umberto Ortolani, together with the banker Roberto Calvi, gained control of the Rizzoli publishing house and thus of the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera. According to the report the Istituto per le Opere di Religione (IOR), the Vatican's bank, provided funds for Rizzoli's capital increase. The new shares were registered only formally in the name of Andrea Rizzoli, had in reality already been transferred to the IOR and were held by a nominee. For a loan of 184 million dollars by Ambrosiano's foreign banks the IOR issued a letter of patronage. With Calvi's arrest the structure collapsed.

Period

1977-1982 (5 years)

Country

Italy, Vatican City

Institutions

Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR)
Banco Ambrosiano

Category

Financial misconduct

Level of evidence

A Primary source · what does this mean?

Background

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. According to the report a link between Banco Ambrosiano and the IOR was created in Italy to provide the Rizzoli publishing house with the funds to complete the takeover of the Corriere della Sera. Rizzoli's capital increase was financed with IOR funds, which used balances held in its name at various banks. The new shares were attributed only formally to Andrea Rizzoli; in reality they had already been transferred to the IOR, and at the second capital increase in 1981 one of the conditions was the tearing up of the certificates that bore traces of this transfer of ownership.
   Evidence: Camera dei Deputati und Senato della Repubblica, Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sulla Loggia massonica P2, Vorsitz Tina Anselmi, Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera

   „in Italia si realizza quel collegamento Banco Ambrosiano-IOR destinato a fornire alla Rizzoli Editore i fondi per completare l'operazione Corriere della“

   Evidence: Camera dei Deputati und Senato della Repubblica, Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sulla Loggia massonica P2, Vorsitz Tina Anselmi, Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera

   „a) con fondi provenienti dall'Istituto Opere di Religione che“

   Evidence: Camera dei Deputati und Senato della Repubblica, Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sulla Loggia massonica P2, Vorsitz Tina Anselmi, Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera

   „in realtà le azioni stesse erano state già girate a favore dello IOR“

2. According to the report the foreign banks of the Ambrosiano group had at the time of the collapse paid out 184 million dollars in connection with the capital increases, including payments to Gelli and Ortolani. This claim ran formally through the company Bellatrix, for which the IOR had issued a letter of patronage. The structure was dealt heavy blows by Calvi's arrest and the opposition of the treasury minister and headed for collapse.
   Evidence: Camera dei Deputati und Senato della Repubblica, Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sulla Loggia massonica P2, Vorsitz Tina Anselmi, Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera

   „$ 184 milioni in connessione alle complessive operazioni di aumento“

   Evidence: Camera dei Deputati und Senato della Repubblica, Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sulla Loggia massonica P2, Vorsitz Tina Anselmi, Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera

   „(« Bellatrix S.a. ») assistita da una « lettera di patronage » rilasciata“

   Evidence: Camera dei Deputati und Senato della Repubblica, Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sulla Loggia massonica P2, Vorsitz Tina Anselmi, Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera

   „duri colpi con l'arresto di Calvi“

Original documents to read

1. Government report
   Camera dei Deputati und Senato della Repubblica, Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sulla Loggia massonica P2, Vorsitz Tina Anselmi: Relazione della Commissione parlamentare d'inchiesta sulla Loggia massonica P2, Doc. XXIII n. 2, IX Legislatura, 1 January 1984. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.