On Tuesday and Wednesday (July 2 and 3rd), the meeting of the
Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic
Problems of the Holy See took place in Vatican City, presided over by
Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone .
Particularly noteworthy
was the visit on Wednesday 3 by Pope Francis, who addressed the speakers
and engaged in a brief dialogue, reiterating the aims and purpose of
the Council and inviting the continuation of periodical meetings.
The following Cardinals participated in the meeting: Joachim
Meisner, archbishop of Köln (Germany), Antonio María Rouco Varela,
archbishop of Madrid (Spain), Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of
Dar-el-Salaam (Tanzania), Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop of México
(México), Wilfrid Fox Napier, o.f.m., archbishop of Durban (South
Africa), Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan (Italy), Telesphore Placidus
Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi (India), George Pell, archbishop of Sydney
(Australia), Agostino Vallini, vicar general of His Holiness for the
diocese of Rome, John Tong Hon, bishop of Hong Kong (China), Jorge
Liberato Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas (Venezuela), Odilo Pedro
Scherer, archbishop of São Paulo (Brazil).
The Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See was
represented by the president, Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, the secretary,
Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, and the Accountant General, Stefano
Fralleoni. Antonio Chiminello, director of the State Accounting
Administration, spoke on behalf of the Governorate of Vatican City
State.
The Governorate of Vatican City State and the Administration of
the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) were represented by: Cardinal
Giuseppe Bertello and Msgr. Giuseppe Sciacca, president of the
Commission of Cardinals for Vatican City State and the secretary general
of the Governorate of Vatican City State respectively, Cardinal
Domenico Calcagno and Msgr. Luigi Misto, president and secretary of APSA
respectively.
Upon invitation by the Cardinal Secretary of State, the following
speakers intervened: Fr. Federico Lombardi s.j. and Alberto Gasbarri,
director general and administrative director of Vatican Radio
respectively; Marco Pacciarini, Lorenzo Suraci and Fernando Giménez
Barriocanal, members of the Commission charged with formulating a
technical appraisal of Vatican Radio; Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect
of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda
Fidei), who gave a report on this latter Dicastery and on the Pontifical
Missionary Works; Peter Sutherland, consultor for APSA, who explained
the current macroeconomic situation and the investment policies of the
aforementioned Administration; Ernst Von Freyborg, president of the IOR,
who in conformity with article 25 § 2 of the Apostolic Constitution
Pastor Bonus, gave a presentation to the Cardinal Fathers on the
Institute’s current situation, followed by a broad discussion on
suitable clarifications.
In addition, Msgr. Luigi Mistò spoke about the
problem of safeguarding and appraising the patrimony of ecclesiastical
entities.
Following an introduction by the Cardinal Secretary of State and
Cardinal Versaldi, the accountant general first read the report on the
consolidated financial statement of the Holy See for the year 2012 and
subsequently that of the Governorate of Vatican City State. Msgr.
Vallejo Balda instead focused on four areas – the Holy See-Roman Curia,
the Holy See-Pastoral, the Holy See-Charity and Vatican City State –
which together form the integrated financial statement of the two
entities in question.
The consolidated financial statement for the
Holy See for the year 2012 closes with a profit of € 2,185,622, due
mainly to good performance in financial management.
The most significant
categories of expenditure are those regarding the cost of personnel,
numbering 2,823 units on 31 December 2012, means of social communication
considered in their entirety, and the new property taxes (IMU) which
resulted in an increase in expenditure of € 5,000,000 compared to
previous figures.
The Governorate has an autonomous Administration independent from
contributions of the Holy See and, through its various Directions,
provides for the needs relating to the management of the State.
The 2012
financial statement, while affected by the global economic climate,
closed with a profit of € 23,079,800, an increase of over a million
euros compared to that of the previous year. A total of 1,936 were
employed on 31 December 2012.
Peter’s Pence, the contributions
offered by the faithful in support of the Holy Father’s charity, passed
from USD 69,711,722.76 in 2011, to USD 65,922,637.08, registering a
reduction of 11.91%.
Further contributions to the Holy See on the part of the Institutes
of Consecrated Life, Societies of Apostolic Life and Foundations passed
from USD 1,194,217.78, in 2011, to USD 1,133,466.91, with a reduction of
5.09%. In total, therefore, there has been a decrement of 7.45%
compared to the total in US dollars recorded in 2011.
The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), as each year,
offered the Holy Father a significant sum in support of his apostolic
and charitable ministry. For 2012 this was a sum of € 50,000,000, to
which € 1,000,000 is to be added for the Amazon Fund, € 1,500,000 for
the Pro-orantibus Fund (support for cloistered monasteries), € 1,500,000
for the San Sergio Fund (support for the Church in the former Soviet
Union), € 1,000,000 for the Commission for Latin America, and other
minor donations.
The Cardinal Fathers reflected on the data presented in the financial
statements, verifying the positive results attained, and encouraged the
reform necessary to reduce costs through the simplification and
rationalisation of existent bodies, as well as more careful planning of
the activities of all administrations.
The Members of the Council
expressed their deep gratitude for the support given, often anonymously,
to the Holy Father’s universal ministry in spite of moments of economic
crisis, and encouraged perseverance in this good work.