standing ▁reputation ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁church ' s ▁most ▁vocal ▁conserv ative ▁hard - lin ers , ▁said ▁that ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁opposed ▁both ▁abort ion ▁and ▁gay ▁marriage . ▁The ▁V at ican ' s ▁chief ▁sp okes man , ▁Father ▁Feder ico ▁Lomb ardi , ▁also ▁noted ▁in ▁the ▁V at ican ▁press ▁office ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁cons istory ▁meet ings ▁that ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁and ▁Card inal ▁Walter ▁Kas per ▁would ▁not ▁change ▁or ▁re define ▁any ▁dog mas ▁per tain ing ▁to ▁Church ▁the ology ▁on ▁do ctr inal ▁matters . ▁ ▁Institute ▁for ▁the ▁Works ▁of ▁Religion ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁months ▁of ▁Francis ' s ▁pap acy , ▁the ▁Institute ▁for ▁the ▁Works ▁of ▁Religion , ▁inform ally ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁V at ican ▁Bank , ▁said ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁become ▁more ▁transparent ▁in ▁its ▁financial ▁deal ings ▁There ▁had ▁long ▁been ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁money ▁la und ering ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁bank . ▁Francis ▁appointed ▁a ▁commission ▁to ▁advise ▁him ▁about ▁reform ▁of ▁the ▁Bank , ▁and ▁the ▁fin ance ▁consult ing ▁firm ▁Prom ont ory ▁Fin an cial ▁Group ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁investigation ▁of ▁all ▁customer ▁contacts ▁of ▁the ▁bank ▁on ▁these ▁facts . ▁Because ▁of ▁this ▁affair ▁the ▁Prom oter ▁of ▁Justice ▁at ▁the ▁V at ican ▁Trib unal ▁applied ▁a ▁letter ▁ro g atory ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Italy ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁August ▁ 2