Thank you for visiting the website of the Istituto per le Opere di Religione (IOR).
The IOR strives to serve the global mission of the Catholic Church by safeguarding the assets of institutions and individuals related to the Holy See and the Catholic Church, and providing them with payment services. The IOR's customers serve the Church in many different ways, be it through charitable institutions such as hospitals or schools, through missionary work, or as employees. The IOR does not serve business customers.
The IOR is engaged in a process of comprehensive reform, to foster the most rigorous professional and compliance standards. These efforts are based on the legal framework set forth by the Vatican, in cooperation with international bodies. This includes implementing strict anti-money laundering processes and improving our internal structures. We are conducting an extensive evaluation of all our clients’ accounts, with the aim of closing down those relationships that are not in line with the IOR's mission. This effort is closely supervised by the Vatican regulator AIF (“Autorità di Informazione Finanziaria”).
The IOR applies a zero-tolerance policy with regard to any breach of laws, rules and regulations. We strive to attain the high standards rightly expected of us.
Our mission is to serve the universal Church throughout the entire world, helping the Holy See, religious congregations and Catholic institutions in their works of charity and evangelization.
Ernst von Freyberg
President of the IOR Board of Superintendence