Cardinal Pell had some bad news for his enemies in the Roman Curia last week. They had speculated that the Vatican finance tsar would step down when he turns 75 in June. But in a bracingly frank press statement, the Australian cardinal insisted he would serve his “full five-year term” as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy. He took up the post in February 2014, which means his opponents will have no respite until 2019. That’s good news for Catholics worldwide. The cardinal is fulfilling one of Pope Francis’s most important mandates – financial reform – with a speed and tenacity few others could match. His aggressive pursuit of transparency upsets those steeped in a curial tradition that favours discretion, diplomacy and departmental independence. Last month they made a dramatic attempt to disrupt the reform programme, suspending a contract between the Vatican and its external auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The decision emanated from the Secretariat of State, which made a series of puzzling claims about the contract to justify its intervention. Cardinal Pell rebutted them in his statement, concluding that it was “interesting to note so-called ‘concerns’ about the PwC audit and contract were only raised when auditors began asking for central financial information and we’re finding it difficult to get answers”. You don’t need the acumen of Sherlock Holmes to see why the audit has brought the struggle between the venerable Secretariat of State and the upstart Secretariat for the Economy into the open. When the contract was signed in December, the Financial Times said it “could be pivotal because it appears to have a more sweeping mandate to audit all of the Holy See’s finances”. The Secretariat of State had reacted furiously when Cardinal Pell revealed in these pages that he had discovered “hundreds of millions of euros ... tucked away in particular sectional accounts”. The Secretariat of State evidently sees the audit as a direct threat to its freedom. There are conflicting reports about where the Pope stands. The Secretariat of State implied that it suspended the contract with Francis’s full knowledge and approval. Last Thursday the Holy Father visited the Secretariat for the Economy and enjoyed “a friendly and lively discussion” with officials. The next day Cardinal Pell issued his forthright statement, insisting that the Pope “fully supported” the Secretariat’s work. The Vatican press office, meanwhile, issued a carefully worded appeal for calm. Its statement suggested that the Secretariat of State had legitimate concerns about the contract, while insisting that “the commitment to adequate economic and financial auditing remains a priority for the Holy See and for Vatican City State”. “Adequate” is an interesting choice of words. Does it imply that the Vatican no longer aspires to meet the highest international accounting standards? Is it suggesting that there must be compromise between the reformers and the Curial old guard? Cardinal Pell’s episcopal motto is Nolite Timere, “Do not be afraid”. Since his appointment as prefect, Cardinal Pell has suffered a series of devious, highly personal attacks clearly intended to unseat him. Despite ill health, he is undaunted and wants to finish the work entrusted to him. It is vital that he be permitted to do so.