by several strong aftershocks including one today with a magnitude of 5.7.

Tremors were also felt in India and in other Persian Gulf countries on April 16.

Authorities say it was the worst earthquake Iran has seen in 50 years, but it had limited casualties because its epicenter was in a remote region.

It caused 70 percent of houses to collapse in Mashki, Pakistan, and the country’s military is helping rescue efforts in both countries.

Vatican City, Apr 17, 2013 (CNA/EWTN News) -
One month into his papacy, Pope Francis has made his first episcopal and administrative appointments and has met with heads of state and the faithful, but one decision that is likely to play a key role in his reform project will be how he deals with the Vatican’s financial operations.

Asexplained in a late March interview that when the future Pope was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he inherited “a diocese with a financial disease.”

In 1998, the administration of his predecessor, Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, was involved in trying to prevent the collapse of a bank in which it was a shareholder.

The cardinal’s secretary, Monsignor Roberto Marcial Toledo, signed an agreement in his boss’ name to obtain 10 million dollars from Sociedad Militar Seguro de Vida (Military Society Life Insurance). The archdiocese then gave the money to the cash-strapped Banco de Credito Provincial, which it held shares in.

But in spite of the injection of capital, the bank collapsed. In the midst of the investigation of the meltdown, Msgr. Toledo was imprisoned.

Then-Archbishop Bergoglio swiftly took responsibility for the financial