Vatican bank reinstates couple fired for violating prohibition on married employees The Vatican bank has rehired a married couple fired last year for breaking the financial institution\u2019s internal regulations forbidding workplace marriages. The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) \u2014 which manages financial assets entrusted to it by the Holy See, the Vatican City State, and Catholic institutions globally \u2014 rehired the couple in a negotiated settlement following the couple\u2019s filing of a wrongful termination lawsuit in January, a union for Vatican lay employees announced Wednesday. Silvia Carlucci and Domenico Fabiani married on Aug. 31, 2024. The IOR fired the couple a month later, on Oct. 2, citing a rule introduced by the financial institution in September 2024 that explicitly forbids the employment of spouses or other close family members. The Association of Lay Employees of the Vatican (ADLV) celebrated the outcome of the case \u2014 the couple was dubbed by the Italian media as the \u201cRomeo and Juliet of the Vatican\u201d for defying a rule they considered unjust and outdated \u2014 as a victory for justice and good sense. \u201cIn the end, justice prevailed, guided by reason: Silvia and Domenico, dismissed from the IOR after marrying, will be reinstated in the Vatican,\u201d the ADLV stated in a press release. According to the Associated Press, before firing the couple, the Vatican bank had suggested one of the two quit, but the couple said they were not in a financial position to do so due to obligations to former spouses, children, and a new mortgage. The lay employees\u2019 union expressed its gratitude to those who helped reach the settlement: \u201cWe thank all those who made this agreement possible \u2026 It has been a victory for common sense, discernment, and the wise will to protect a family.\u201d The group also stressed that the case highlights the need for \u201cstronger foundations for the application of labor law in the Vatican\u201d and raised questions about the current IOR regulations, which \u201cwould clearly be unconstitutional in Italy.\u201d \u201cIn the Vatican there are no social safety nets,\u201d the statement added, calling it \u201cproblematic when facing crises of various kinds.\u201dThis story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Victoria Cardiel Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Peace in Lebanon: Order of Malta and the Embassy of Germany to the Holy See Lisbon Prepares to Host World Youth Day 2023 Holy Mass for Pope Benedict XVI on the 1st Anniversary of His Passing at the Vatican | 2023 Honoring Blessed Jerzy Popie\u0142uszko: The Priest Who Defied Communism Pope Leo XIV tells Dominican priors to \u2018listen attentively to the Holy Spirit\u2019 Vinicio, the Ill Man Whose Embrace with Pope Francis Moved the World, Passes Away<\/p>\n