the couple at risk of being fired –

After the ban on visible tattoos and piercings and on cohabitation more uxorio, a new ‘draconian’ rule has arrived in the Vatican that risks creating further discontent. “Meeting at work, falling in love and deciding to get married can be very costly for employees of the IOR, the Vatican bank, because summary dismissal is on the horizon,” writes Il Messaggero. “Employees who decide to join their lives, get married and start a family risk finding themselves faced with a terrible choice between their private life and keeping their job,” it says.

“For those who are employed by the Institute for the Works of Religion, the end of the employment contract can inexorably come into play starting from 30 days following the celebration of the marriage, unless one of the two decides to leave the job voluntarily. Only in this way does the voluntary resignation of one of the two guarantee the job to the other – explains the newspaper -. In the new regulation that came into force at the Torrione di Niccolò V, husband and wife cannot share their working life”.

The article then cites the regulation, according to which «also in order to guarantee equal treatment with the subjects referred to in paragraph 3 which precedes the celebration of the canonical marriage between an employee of the institute and another employee of the Institute or of other administrations of the Vatican City State, constitutes a cause for loss of employment requirements. This cause for loss of employment requirements is considered to have been overcome for one of the two spouses if the other spouse ceases his or her employment relationship with the Institute and with the other administrations of the Vatican within 30 days of the celebration of the marriage». A rule that is already creating problems for two young employees who, «as often happens in large companies, met at the counter». Between them «the spark of Cupid has gone off and now they would like to get married. But faced with this obstacle that seems insurmountable they do not know what to do. The case (for now unique) has reached the Ulsa, the labor tribunal of Oltretevere, which has not yet produced any decision on the matter».