Italy
The Vatican has rejected a 1.5 million euro donation from Italian defense company Leonardo. The group wanted to donate the amount to purchase an innovative computerized tomography device for the Vatican children's hospital “Bambino Gesu”.
01/12/2024 11:38 am
Online since today, 11:38 am
However, the Vatican rejected the amount – to the astonishment of the company's management. According to the Roman daily La Repubblica (Friday edition), the pope rejected the donation so as not to embarrass the Vatican. The Holy Father has recently repeatedly condemned the arms trade.
The Argentine pontiff also criticized the arms industry during Christmas and in his message for World Peace Day, on January 1st. After being surprised by the Vatican's negative attitude, Leonardo decided to donate the amount to the “Gaslini” children's hospital in Genoa, which accepted the money.
“Grey areas” in the area of charity
With 51 thousand employees and almost 15 billion euros, Leonardo is one of the largest defense companies in the world. It supplies the Austrian Air Force with the new “Leonardo AW169M” multipurpose helicopters. The acquisition is expected to be completed by 2028. The Leonardo helicopters replace the Alouette III light liaison and transport helicopters introduced in 1967.
After the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation against fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni on suspicion of unfair competition in connection with alleged charity campaigns, calls are growing for new rules for charity projects in Italy. Riccardo Masetti, founder of Komen Italia, an association that has been fighting breast cancer for 25 years, called on the Rome parliament to adopt a law to avoid “gray areas” in a sector as sensitive as charity.
Clear rules are needed
“An authority could protect us from risks. Associations and non-profit organizations that carry out their work mainly on a voluntary basis cannot risk losing the trust of donors due to scandals.” Therefore, clear rules are needed for advertising through sponsorships and donations in partnership with companies and non-profit organizations.
After all, the non-profit sector in Italy generates an estimated turnover of 80 billion euros. The introduction of a “third sector guarantor”, an authority with ad hoc powers, would be desirable.