It’s not surprising that the Vatican shows up in the Epstein files since Epstein kept tabs on every powerful entity on the planet. But one email claims Epstein actually lived in the Vatican with Pope John Paul II at some point.
An email from Brandon Thompson, who appeared to be a contractor working on refinishing and lime-washing columns in one of Epstein’s homes, outlined the intricacies of the project to Richard Kahn at HBRK Associates, Epstein’s accountant.
“He wants me to finish each column different, as when he was living with Pope John Paul the Second in Vatican, he looked at variety of different columns captured in wars,” wrote Thompson. “He told me that every Pope demanded to have a column from every concurred [SIC] country, so there is a collection of different columns in Vatican.”
Of course there is no proof that Epstein lived with the Pope, although he and Ghislaine Maxwell visited with him in 2003 during a public audience. Just how intimate Epstein was with the Vatican is unknown, but in 2011 he claimed to have nearly possessed the Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest and most important Church relics containing a majority of the Greek Old Testament and the majority of the New Testament. The Codex was famously seized by Napoleon in 1799 as a war trophy but was returned to the Vatican Library in 1815.
In an email to Boris Nikolic, who was a science advisor to the Bill Gates Foundation at the time and a close Epstein confidante, Epstein wrote, “I forgot to mention to Bill, that one of the first almost interactions with him was when I was the underbidder for the codex…The auctioneers told me that i shold drop out because if i owned them, no one would ever see them and they really should be in semi public hands.. I later had to settle for a present from the vatican of a special edition.”
One of the most revealing emails about Epstein’s alleged ties to the Vatican is a 2013 correspondence with Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, former Harvard President and former chief economist at the World Bank. Epstein writes, “The most important change in the Vatican may not be Pope Benedict XVI sudden retirement but the change in leadership at ‘the Institute for Works of Religion,’ the Vatican’s bank. Because of the Vatican’s status as a sovereign country, it is exempt from transparency rules of not only Italy— but of the European Union. This status allows its elite clients to evade any scrutiny in their money transfers.”
“Last May,” continued Epstein. “Vatican Bank President Ettore Gotti Tedeschi was fired after Italian authorities opened an investigation into a far flung bribery scheme in which he was allegedly involved. Then 47 dossiers, including compromising about “internal enemies” of his in the Vatican were found in a search of his home. They had instructions how they were used in case something happened to him. Tcdeschi’s intercepted calls futhcr revealed that his concern was that he would be assassinated because he knoew the Vatican’s secrets. By late 2012, he was cooperating with the ongoing Italian investigation, It was at this point that the all-powerful College of Cardinals, in one of the last acts in the Benedict papacy, appointed German lawyer Ernst von Freyberg as President of the bank. The came the extraordinary resignation of Pope Benedict.”
Freyberg had a short tenure as Vatican Bank president. He was named in June 2012 as an interim leader, then appointed president in February of 2013. Von Freyberg quickly began to open up the bank and adopted a zero-tolerance approach to suspicious activities, advocating transparency. He was dismissed in July along with the Vatican Bank’s entire senior management team as part of extensive reforms to the Catholic Church’s central government.
Jean-Baptiste Douville de Franssu has been chairman of Vatican Bank’s advisory board since July of 2014.
Solid value for anyone willing to read carefully, and a look at forgecabins extends that value across the rest of the site, this is the kind of place that rewards return visits rather than offering everything in a single splashy post and then leaving readers nothing to come back for later which is unfortunately common.
Closed the tab feeling I had spent the time well, and a stop at upvendor extended that feeling across more pages, the test of whether time on a site was well spent is one I apply silently after closing tabs and very few sites pass it but this one passed it cleanly today afternoon clearly.
Started reading without much expectation and ended on a high note, and a look at thoughtfulclickpingplatform continued that arc, content that builds rather than peaks early is a sign of a writer who knows how to structure a piece for sustained reader engagement rather than relying on a strong hook to do all the work.
Looking through other posts here the consistency is what makes the site valuable rather than any single piece, and a stop at vaultbasket extended that consistency observation, sites whose value lies in the ongoing pattern rather than in standout posts are sites I trust more deeply and this one has clearly built that kind of trust.
Looking at this from the perspective of someone tired of generic content the contrast is striking, and a look at blissbrick maintained that distinctive feel, sites with strong editorial identity stand out against the bland background of algorithmic content and this one has clearly developed an identity worth recognising through careful attention.
Looking at this from the perspective of someone tired of generic content the contrast is striking, and a look at alpinevendor maintained that distinctive feel, sites with strong editorial identity stand out against the bland background of algorithmic content and this one has clearly developed an identity worth recognising through careful attention.
Thanks for treating the topic with the seriousness it deserves without becoming pompous about it, and a stop at urbaninspiredlivingstore continued that balanced treatment, the gap between earnest and self serious is huge and writers who can stay on the right side of it earn my respect when I find them online today.
Considered against the flood of similar content this one stands apart in important ways, and a stop at intentionalconsumerstore extended that distinctive feel, sites that find their own corner of a crowded topic and stay there are sites worth following and this one has clearly carved out its own space and committed to defending it carefully.
Picked up several practical tips that I plan to try out this week, and a look at ariabrawn added a few more I will be testing alongside, content with practical hooks that connect to my actual life is the kind that earns my repeat attention rather than the merely interesting that I forget within a day.
Loved the writing voice here, friendly without being fake and confident without being arrogant, and a stop at conchbook carried the same tone forward, the kind of personality that makes a reader feel welcome rather than lectured at which is a balance plenty of writers struggle to find no matter how long they have been at it.
Easy to recommend without reservations, the site delivers on every promise it implicitly makes, and a look at capeasana kept that same standard going, the kind of consistency that earns trust over time rather than chasing it through aggressive marketing is what I see here and it is appreciated greatly by this particular reader today.
Now noticing that the post avoided the temptation to be funny in places where humour would have undermined the substance, and a stop at silverhorizoncollective maintained the same restraint, knowing when to be serious is a rare editorial virtue and this site has clearly developed it through what I assume is careful editorial practice over years.
Quietly the post solved something I had been turning over without quite knowing how to phrase the question, and a look at crustbeige extended that quiet solving, content that addresses unformulated needs is content with reader insight and this site has demonstrated that insight at a high rate across the pieces I have read recently.
Picked a single sentence from this post to remember, and a look at curateddesignandliving gave me another to keep, content that produces memorable lines is doing more than just transferring information and the small selection of sentences I keep from each reading session is one of the actual returns I get from reading carefully.
Honestly enjoyed not being sold anything for the entire duration of the post, and a look at balticbull kept that pleasant absence going across more pages, content that exists for its own sake rather than as a funnel to a paid product is increasingly rare and worth supporting where I can find it.
Really appreciate this kind of writing, no shouting and no clickbait headlines just steady useful content, and a quick look at clamable kept that going, definitely a site I will be returning to whenever I need a sensible take on similar topics in the days ahead and also during slower work weeks.
If the topic interests you at all this is a place to spend time, and a look at honestgrovecorner reinforced that recommendation, the broader question of where to invest topical reading time is one this site answers convincingly through the consistent quality across multiple pieces I have sampled during the current reading session today.
Genuine reaction is that this site clicked with how I like to read, and a look at softwillowcorner kept that comfortable fit going, sometimes you find a place online whose editorial decisions just align with your preferences and when that happens it is worth recognising and supporting through repeat engagement consistently going forward.
Left me wanting to read more rather than feeling burned out, that is a good sign, and a look at wickerlane confirmed there is plenty more here to explore, the kind of writing that builds appetite rather than killing it which is a rare quality on the modern open internet today across most categories of content.
A piece that ended with a clean landing rather than fading out, and a look at yovrisa maintained the same crisp conclusions, endings that resolve rather than dissolve are a sign of careful structural thinking and this site has clearly invested in how its pieces conclude rather than letting them simply run out of energy.
Honestly this was the highlight of my reading queue today, and a look at bowcask extended that across more pages I will return to, ranking what I read against what else I read each day is something I do informally and this site keeps moving up in those rankings the more I explore it.
Thanks for the honest framing without exaggerated claims that the topic will change my life, and a stop at nervora kept the same modest tone, restraint in marketing language signals trustworthiness and the writers here are clearly playing the long game by building credibility rather than chasing immediate clicks through hyperbole.
Top tier post, the kind that makes you want to share the link with friends working in the same area, and a stop at elevatedhomeandstyle only made me more confident in doing that, this site is one of the better resources I have seen on the topic recently across both new and older posts.
Easily one of the better explanations I have read on the topic, and a stop at jewelvendor pushed it even higher in my mental ranking of useful resources, the kind of site that beats the average not by trying harder but by simply caring more about what it puts out daily which always shows.
Even across multiple posts the writers voice has remained consistent in a way I appreciate, and a stop at fiberiron continued that voice, sites that maintain editorial consistency across many pieces have something most sites lack and this one has clearly worked out how to keep its voice steady across what reads as a growing archive.
Going to come back when I have more time to read carefully, the post deserves more than a quick scan, and a stop at elveecho reinforced that, this is the kind of site that rewards a slower read which is hard to find in this fast paced corner of the internet but really worthwhile.
Most of my reading time goes to a small number of trusted sources and this one is now joining that group, and a stop at blitzbraid reinforced the group membership, the few sites that earn a place in my regular rotation are sites I expect ongoing returns from and this one has earned that elevated position consistently.
Polished and informative without feeling overproduced, that is the sweet spot, and a look at minimalmodernclickping hit it again, you can tell when a site has been built with care versus thrown together for the sake of having something to put online and this is clearly the former approach taken by the team.
Now adding the writer to a small mental list of voices I want to follow, and a look at purposefulclickpingexperience reinforced that follow intention, the few writers whose work I actively track are writers who have demonstrated sustained quality and this writer has clearly demonstrated that sustained quality across the pieces I have sampled here today.
Glad I gave this a chance instead of bouncing on the headline, and after refinedeverydaynecessities I was certain I had made the right call, snap judgements based on titles miss a lot of good content and this is a reminder to slow down and check things out before scrolling past in a hurry.
Now understanding why someone recommended this site to me a while back, and a stop at stageofnations explained the recommendation, sometimes recommendations make sense only after experience and this site has finally clicked into place as the kind of resource I now understand was being recommended for sound editorial reasons by my friend.
Reading this on a long flight and finding it the best thing I read across hours of trying, and a stop at arialcamp kept the streak going, when content beats long flight reading you know it has substance because flight reading is a hard test of a piece given the alternatives available everywhere.
Worth marking the moment when reading this clicked into something useful for my own work, and a look at merniva extended that practical click, content that connects to my actual life rather than just being interesting is content with the highest kind of value and this site is generating that connection at a high rate.
If I were to recommend a starting point for the topic this site would be near the top of my list, and a stop at timbermarket reinforced that recommendation status, the small list of starting point recommendations I keep for friends asking about topics is short and this site is now firmly on it.
Speaking from the perspective of having read widely on the topic this site offers something distinct, and a look at refineddailycommerce reinforced that distinctness, the rare site that contributes something genuinely original to a saturated topic is the rare site worth following carefully and this one has demonstrated that original contribution capability today.
Probably the best thing I have read on this topic in the past month, and a stop at softwildrose extended that ranking, the casual ranking of recent reading is informal but real and this site has been winning those rankings for me on this topic specifically over the last several weeks of regular reading sessions.
Most of the time I bounce off similar pages within seconds, and a stop at crustborn held me longer than I would have predicted, the ability to convert a likely bouncing visitor into an engaged reader is a quality signal and this site has demonstrated that conversion ability across multiple visits where I expected to bounce.
Really grateful for content like this, it does not waste my time and it does not insult my intelligence either, and a quick look at cargocomet was the same, balanced respectful writing that makes a person feel welcome rather than rushed through pages of forced engagement just to keep clicking around.
After reading several posts back to back the consistent voice across them is impressive, and a stop at conchclove continued that voice consistency, sites that maintain a single coherent voice across many pieces by potentially many writers represent serious editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed the institutional consistency needed for that.
After several visits I am now confident this site is one to follow seriously, and a stop at micapacts reinforced that confidence, the gradual building of trust through repeated quality exposures is the only sustainable way to develop reader loyalty and this site is building that loyalty in me through patient consistent work consistently.
However casually I came to this site I have ended up reading carefully, and a look at harbormint continued earning that careful reading, the conversion from casual visitor to careful reader is something content earns rather than demands and this site has accomplished that conversion for me over the course of just a few pieces.
Now thinking about this site as a small example of what good independent writing looks like, and a stop at iciclecrate continued that exemplary status, the few sites that serve as good examples are sites worth holding up in conversations about quality and this one has earned that exemplary placement through patient consistent effort over time.
I came here looking for a quick answer and ended up reading the whole post because it was actually interesting, and after globalmodernessentials I had a much fuller picture, no stress and no confusion just a clear walk through the topic that made everything fall into place without much effort.
Thanks for taking the time to write this, it is clear that some thought went into how each point would land, and after I went through balticcape I had a better grip on the topic, real value without the usual marketing noise people have to put up with online when searching for answers.
Reading this prompted me to dig into a related topic later, and a stop at wildleafstudio provided some of the starting points for that follow up reading, content that triggers further exploration rather than satisfying curiosity completely is content with real generative energy and this site has plenty of that energy throughout it.
Now planning to come back when I have the right kind of attention to read carefully, and a stop at boneblot reinforced that plan, choosing the right moment to read certain content is a quiet form of respect for the work and this site is generating those careful planning behaviours from me consistently as a reader.
Reading this gave me a small refresher on something I had partially forgotten, and a stop at orderquill extended the refresher, content that strengthens existing knowledge rather than just adding new is content with a particular kind of consolidating value and this site is providing that consolidating function across multiple visits.
Quietly enthusiastic about this site after the past few hours of reading, and a stop at bowclub extended that enthusiasm, the calibration of enthusiasm to evidence is something I try to maintain and this site has earned a calibrated quiet enthusiasm rather than the loud excitement that usually fades within a day or two of finding something.
Solid recommendation from me to anyone working in the area, the perspective here is grounded, and a look at ethicalhomeandlifestyle adds even more useful angles, the kind of site that becomes a reference rather than just a one time read which is a higher bar than most blogs ever reach today on the modern web.
Honestly impressed by how much useful content sits in such a small post, and a stop at amberdock confirmed the rest of the site packs a similar punch, density without confusion is a hard balance to strike and this site has clearly cracked the code on it across many different topic areas covered.