The Catholic Herald (UK)
Australian Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy (CNS)
A reorganisation of the oversight of the Vatican’s financial affairs was announced on Saturday
Pope Francis has announced a reorganisation of the oversight and administration of the Vatican’s financial affairs, a move that appears to have reduced the power of his financial czar, Cardinal George Pell.
In a new law announced on Saturday, Pope Francis essentially reversed a 2014 law that had transferred the main operational section of the patrimony office to the cardinal’s Secretariat for the Economy.
Francis says he was restoring these administrative functions to the APSA office because he realised there needed to be an “unequivocable and full separation” between those who manage Vatican assets (APSA) and those who supervise them (Cardinal Pell).
The cardinal, a longtime critic of the Vatican’s financial inefficiencies, had assumed control in a bid to assert authority over different areas of the Vatican’s finances. Over time, Pope Francis has trimmed his reach.
In Saturday’s statement, the Vatican said “the Holy Father approved a Motu Proprio to implement reform of the organisms engaged in control and vigilance as well as the administration of Holy See assets.”
“The document published today responds to the need to define further the relationship between the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and the Secretariat for the Economy. The fundamental principle at the base of the reforms in this area, and in particular at the base of this Motu Proprio, is that of ensuring the clear and unequivocal distinction between control and vigilance, on the one hand, and administration of assets, on the other,” the statement said.
“Therefore, the Motu Proprio specifies the competencies pertaining to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See and better delineates the Secretariat for the Economy’s fundamental role of control and vigilance.”
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The Argentine pontiff’s “motu proprio” reverses a 2014 bill. Photo: AFP
Pope reins in Vatican’s finance minister after scandal
The Local (Italy)
Published: 10 Jul 2016 09:44 GMT+02:00
The move follows months of tension between the body charged with managing the Holy See’s assets and the Vatican’s powerful economy ministry.
The Argentine pontiff’s “motu proprio” reverses a 2014 bill which had transferred the competencies of the authority in charge of the Vatican’s real estate — known as ASPA — to the Secretariat for the Economy, headed by finance czar Cardinal George Pell.
It essentially left Pell’s department both in charge of managing the assets and keeping watch over asset management.
“It is of the utmost importance that bodies responsible for vigilance are separated from those that are being overseen,” Francis said in the new document published by the Vatican.
The decree stresses that the Catholic Church’s “earthly assets” are “intended for divine worship, the honest maintenance of the clergy, the apostolate and works of charity, especially in service of the poor”.
It emphasises “the need to pay the utmost attention to ensuring the administration of economic resources always serves these ends”.
It comes two days after a prelate and PR expert were found guilty of playing a role in leaking documents which revealed gross financial mismanagement within the Vatican bureaucracy that Francis inherited three years ago.
Among the most striking revelations was that fewer than 20 percent of donations made by believers around the world under the Peter’s Pence scheme ended up being spent on good works.
The rest was swallowed up by the Vatican bureaucracy, reportedly helping to subsidise the luxurious lifestyles of certain cardinals.
Vatican expert Andrea Tornielli, writing in La Stampa’s Vatican Insider supplement, said Francis had made a significant addition to the 2014 statute by including in his motu proprio the phrase “on the basis of the criteria established by the Superior Authority”.
“These words… reiterate the pope’s role in assessing the transactions of greatest importance”, limiting the reach of both Pell and Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, who is charge of APSA (the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See), Tornielli said.
“Francis trusts in the ‘mutual collaboration of superiors of the two dicasteries (Vatican departments) concerned,’ in other words Pell and Calcagno,” Tornielli said, describing the pontiff’s reference to collaboration as “significant.”
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Cardinal George Pell is given a reduced role at the Vatican by Pope Francis months after sex abuse investigation
- Pope Francis has recalibrated the financial powers inside Vatican City
- He removed many managerial functions from Cardinal George Pell’s role
- Pell plays the role of Australian cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church
- The Cardinal appeared before a royal commission into sexual abuse
- Allegations that he did not report a priest sexually abusing boys were made
The Pope has removed many of Cardinal George Pell’s administrative functions from his role as the Vatican’s key financial office.
Pope Francis essentially reversed a 2014 law that had transferred the main operational section of the patrimony office to the Australian cardinal’s Secretariat for the Economy as of Saturday.
In a slight to Pell, Francis says he’s removing the tasks because there needs to be an unequivocal and full separation between those who manage Vatican assets and those who supervise them.
Pope Francis (pictured) essentially reversed a 2014 law that had transferred the main operational section of the patrimony office to the Australian cardinal’s Secretariat for the Economy as of Saturday
Cardinal Pell, a critic of the Vatican’s financial wastefulness, assumed control in a bid to assert authority over different areas of the Vatican’s spending.
But overtime Francis has managed to trim his reach.
The announcement comes just months after Cardinal Pell appeared in front of a Rome royal commission into sexual abuse.
He appeared in front of the commission to answer questions about why he did not come forward against allegations made about a priest, known to him, sexually abusing boys at a Victorian Catholic school.
Cardinal Pell was questioned by the abuse royal commission over pedophile priests in the Ballarat and Melbourne dioceses when he was serving there in the 1970s and 80s.
He said he regretted putting the church before victims in the past but he had never put himself before either.
In a slight to Pell, Francis says he’s removing the tasks because there needs to be an unequivocal and full separation between those who manage Vatican assets and those who supervise them
Meanwhile a mother of six children abused by a Ballarat clergyman 30 years ago says she was ‘absolutely disgusted’ when photos revealed Cardinal George Pell devouring a meal of steak and chips and drinking beer in a Rome restaurant in May.
Ruth Lane said the images show Cardinal Pell’s claims of risking ‘heart failure’ if forced to return to Australia to face questioning at the Child Abuse Royal Commission in February was insensitive.
Mrs Lane’s six children were all victims of abuse by family friend Brother Grant Ross, and her second son John took his life at age 19.
Cardinal Pell was questioned over Catholic priest Gerald Ridsdale, who was jailed on pedophile charges in 1994, and other pedophile priests in the Ballarat and Melbourne dioceses.
It comes months after Cardinal Pell (pictured) was questioned by the abuse royal commission over pedophilic priests in the Ballarat and Melbourne when he was serving there in the 70s and 80s
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Pope clips George Pell’s wings
news.com.au
July 9, 201611:51pm
Pope Francis has again clipped the wings of his finance czar Cardinal George Pell by effectively removing many of the administrative functions of the Vatican’s key financial office from his department.
In a new law on Saturday, Francis essentially reversed a 2014 law that had transferred the main operational section of the patrimony office to the Australian cardinal’s Secretariat for the Economy.
Francis, who was elected on a reform mandate, said he was restoring these administrative functions to the APSA office because he realised there needed to be an “unequivocable and full separation” between those who manage Vatican assets (APSA) and those who supervise them (Pell).
Pell, a longtime critic of the Vatican’s financial inefficiencies, had assumed control in a bid to assert authority over different areas of the Vatican’s finances. Over time, Francis has trimmed his reach.
Any ideas what this is all about? I don’t have a clue.
I don’t see any big change here – possibly just political correctness, as Georgie has been in so much hot water lately?
Really hope his heart enjoyed the steak, fries, and beer. Mike.