EVERY time I post one of these "sources say" from the European press, I get burned. But oh, let’s have a go:

THE Pope has sounded out Hans Tietmeyer, the former head of the Bundesbank, to become head of the Vatican Bank, sources say.

Herr Tietmeyer, who headed the Bundesbank from 1993 to 1999, studied theology before switching to economics and is a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. He has two brothers who are priests.

Herr Tietmeyer, 75, would succeed Angelo Caloia, an Italian banker brought in 15 years ago by Pope John Paul II to “clean up” the Vatican Bank, or Institute for Religious Works, after scandals linking it to Mafia financiers such as Michele Sindona, who died of a mysterious poisoning in prison in 1986.

An earlier attempt to replace Signor Caloia with Herr Tietmeyer in 2000 was thwarted by the Italian’s allies, including Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul II’s private secretary. Pope Benedict, however, is said to favour a fellow German at the helm of the Vatican’s finances. “The war for the succession to God’s Banker is on,” Panorama magazine said.

Vatican finances are also being reshuffled. It emerged last week that the Congregation of the Children of the Immaculate Conception, based in Rome and subject to papal law, has bought a Pfizer drug unit. Nerviano Medical Systems (NMS), one of Europe’s largest oncological research centres, is dedicated to developing antitumour drugs. Bankers believe that the Congregation may seek a stock market listing for NMS in the future.