Shortly before dying, Pope Francis emptied his bank account. But to whom did he return his savings and what was the amount?
Pope Francis would have emptied his bank account until the last penny, shortly before his disappearance occurred on April 21. In any case, this is what the Italian daily reveals The Repubblica. What dizzying would have chosen to give?
Pope Francis emptied his bank account just before dying
After the resignation of Benoît XVI in 2013, Pope Francis made a strong choice during His election: to give up any personal remuneration. A gesture in perfect consistency with the name he chose, in tribute to François d’Assise, emblematic is of poverty and humility.
But behind this image of a man detached from material goods, a detail remained unknown: Pope Francis still had a personal, well -stocked personal bank account. According to the Italian newspaper The Repubblicathe sovereign pontiff would have decided to donate the entire sum … in the utmost discretion.
It is Monsignor Benoni “Don Ben” Ambarus, the right arm of the Pope for the charity and penitentiary pastoral, who broke the silence around this act of a great piety. Close to Pope Francis, he told a scene that is both simple and powerful, which says a lot to the heart of the late sovereign pontiff….
Pope Francis: this (very) beautiful check he gave before his death
It all started when Bishop Benoni “Don Ben” Ambarus explained to Pope Francis that the prison for Casal del Marmo minors, in Rome was in a bad past: “I told him that we had a major mortgage for this pasta factory and that if we could reduce it, we would lower the price of pasta, sell more and hire more boys“.
To which Pope Francis would have answered him without detour: “I almost exhausted all my money, but I still have something left on my account“. He would then have given him a check for 230,000 euros, all of his savings, a few days before dying.
A discreet and deeply human gift – like his whole life. Despite his health problems, Pope Francis would even have gone to this prison. Monsignor Benoni “Don Ben” Ambarus also said: “He fought for them until his last breath. This is why the prisoners found hope in him. A father died for them“.
