The Daily Star, AP, Frances D'emilio, January 3, 2013
People queue to enter the Vatican Museums, at the Vatican Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) |
VATICAN
CITY: It's "cash only" now for tourists at the Vatican wanting to pay
for museum tickets, souvenirs and other services after Italy's central bank
decided to block electronic payments, including credit cards, at the tiny city
state.
The Italian
daily Corriere della Sera reported Thursday that Bank of Italy took the action
because the Holy See has not yet fully complied with European Union safeguards
against money laundering. That means Italian banks are not authorized to
operate within the Vatican, which is in the process of improving its mechanisms
to combat laundering.
The Vatican
says it's scrambling to find a non-Italian bank to provide the electronic
payment services "quite soon" but declined to discuss Bank of Italy's
concerns.
The central
bank had no immediate comment on the situation.
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Crisis of faith over Vatican cash machines
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