Bishop arrested in Vatican bank probe

A bishop has been arrested in connection with the sweeping probe of the scandal-plagued Vatican bank, known as the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), Italian media reported Friday. The Corriere della Sera website alleged that the arrested cleric was Nunzio Scarano, the bishop of Salerno in southern Italy. On Wednesday the Vatican said Pope Francis was launching a sweeping study of the bank before a possible clear-out of top management at the Holy See. In his first real step towards reform, the pontiff is to take a hands-on approach, ensuring that everything a special five-member commission uncovers will be reported directly to him, it said. The 76-year-old is particularly keen to "better know the judicial position and activities" of the IOR, which has struggled to shake off its murky image amid persistent reports of shady dealings.