Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller’s term as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) ended in 2017 due to a financial investigation, according to a report by “The Pillar”.
The investigation, initiated by the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy under Cardinal George Pell, revealed that large sums of cash and unclear money transfers were linked to Müller’s office.
Sources within the Vatican stated that around 200,000 euros intended for the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s (CDF) account were found in Müller’s private account.
The findings were presented in 2015 to Pope Francis who requested Müller to return the funds. No further sanctions were imposed. However Müller’s term was not renewed, due reportedly to the mishandling of finances during his leadership.
The investigation began when Vatican officials discovered that several departments were storing large amounts of undocumented cash.
Random checks were ordered, revealing attempts by employees of the CDF to remove plastic bags filled with cash.
“Here we were counting out thousands, thousands of euros in cash, in the office [of the CDF] which they were trying to move out the back door in plastic bags” an official said.
“It was just surreal.”
Clerical error
This prompted a thorough financial investigation in the autumn of 2015. It uncovered over half a million euros which were embezzled, undocumented or otherwise unaccounted for. Other significant amounts were found in cash or in external bank accounts.
Müller attributed the transfer of 200,000 euros to his private account to a clerical error.
“It is hard to see how any kind of credible accounting process could allow for hundreds of thousands of euros to go unaccounted [for], or for hundreds of thousands to be deposited in the wrong accounts and have no one notice [until there was an external investigation” the official told The Pillar.
There is no evidence suggesting Müller intended to use the money for personal ends. However, panic within the DDF offices following the announcement of the checks likely led to the hasty cash removal.
“I don’t think Cardinal Müller was looking to get rich from the dicastery” a source close to the secretariat said, “but I think the aim was to get all the cash, and it was a lot of cash, out of the office and out of sight.”
Müller has yet to respond to inquiries from “The Pillar”.