He admitted that the city state had always tried to keep its problems 'in-house', but swore its workings would from then on be 'transparent' - in a statement to the press which intensely irritated many in Saint Peter's corridors of power. In December 2014, Pell revealed that hundreds of millions of euros had been found 'tucked away' in accounts and desk drawers of various Holy See departments, which did not appear on the Vatican's balance sheets. The shock to the system was severe: the centuries-old Curia, enthralled to tradition and above all loathe to spill its secrets, wriggled under the scrutiny of outside auditors and blanched at its affairs going public.
The cardinal, 74 - a former archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney - did not hesitate to bring in top, and very costly, American firms to help him clean house.
In 2014 he was appointed finance minister, the number three spot in the tiny city state, and charged with dragging it into the 21st century, increasing profitability and bringing its scandal-hit institutions into line with international standards.
