Former Rothschild Executive François Pauly Appointed to Lead Vatican Bank Oversight Board

Pope Leo XIV names Edmond de Rothschild veteran to supervise Church finances, prompting widespread reaction and scrutiny

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Pope Leo XIV has appointed François Pauly, a former senior executive of the Edmond de Rothschild banking group, to serve as president of the supervisory board of the Institute for the Works of Religion, the entity responsible for overseeing the Vatican’s financial operations.

Pauly’s selection places a longtime private banking figure at the helm of the body tasked with supervising the Catholic Church’s financial assets, charitable funds, and property management.

News of the appointment circulated rapidly online, including a widely shared post stating, “Francois Pauly, former Rothschild Director has been appointed as head of the Vatican Bank…” Another post described him as a “former Rothschild director” assuming leadership of the institution.

According to reporting by the Daily Mail, Pauly is expected to formally take over the position on April 28. The report noted: “Pauly, who is set to take over as the Vatican Bank’s board president on April 28, previously served as general manager of the Edmond de Rothschild group, a private banking arm of the Rothschild family in Switzerland.”

The same report documented immediate public reaction following the announcement, stating: “Conspiracy theorists immediately seized on Pauly’s ties to the powerful Rothschild group – one of the most famous international banking families in history that has been alleged to be part of the secret society known as the Illuminati.”

It also referenced a recent investigation involving the banking group, stating: “The Paris headquarters of Edmond de Rothschild was raided by police on March 20 as part of an investigation into a former employee’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. Files released in February show Epstein exchanged several emails with the bank, but was never in contact with Pauly.”

Additional commentary continued to spread across social platforms. One post stated, “Former Rothschild director François Pauly, appointed head of the Vatican bank!” Another message read, “Former Rothschild director François Pauly has just been appointed head of the Vatican Bank. A top executive straight from the Edmond de Rothschild banking empire is now running the finances of the Catholic Church.”

The Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican Bank, oversees financial activities connected to Church institutions globally, including charitable distributions and asset management. Leadership of its supervisory board carries responsibility for governance and oversight of these operations.

The appointment comes as Church leadership has also been addressing other internal matters, including recent appeals from senior clergy to expand the number of priests trained to respond to reports involving occult practices.

Pauly is scheduled to assume his role at the end of April.