VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 126
DATE 09-07-2014

Summary:
- MOTU PROPRIO ON THE TRANSFER OF COMPETENCES TO THE SECRETARIAT FOR THE
ECONOMY
- NEW ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK FOR THE HOLY SEE
- DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 MOTU PROPRIO ON THE TRANSFER OF COMPETENCES TO THE SECRETARIAT FOR THE ECONOMY
 Vatican City, 9 July 2014 (VIS) - The following is the Apostolic Letter
issued 'Motu proprio' by the Holy Father Francis on the transfer of the
Ordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
to the Secretariat of the Economy.
 "Confirming a centuries-old tradition, the last Vatican Council II reaffirmed
the need for the organisation of the Holy See to conform to the needs of the
times, above all by adapting the structure of the dicasteries of the Roman
Curia, their number, denomination and competence, as well as their approaches
and mutual coordination, to the real needs of the Church at every moment.
 A concrete result of these principles occurred with the promulgation in
February 2014 of the Apostolic letter, in the form of a Motu Proprio, Fidelis
Dispensator et Prudens, by which I instituted the Secretariat for the Economy
as a dicastery of the Roman Curia. In accordance with the recommendations of
the Council for the Economy, the Secretariat is responsible for the economic
control and supervision of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the
Institutions linked to the Holy See, and the administrations of Vatican City
State.
 In view of the above, and upon consulting the heads of the dicasteries
involved, I consider it appropriate for the Secretariat of the Economy to
assume among its institutional competences, from now on and in accordance with
the methods and times established by the relative Cardinal Prefect, those
tasks which were previously attributed to the so-called 'Ordinary Section' of
the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and, therefore, to
transfer to the aforementioned dicastery the competences which the Apostolic
Constitution 'Pastor bonus' of 28 June 1988 had entrusted to that Section of
the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See. As a consequence,
the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See will no longer be
divided into sections and, in the future, it will carry out only those
functions previously performed by the Extraordinary Section.
 Consequently, having carefully examined every question regarding the matter
and consulting with the competent dicasteries and experts, I establish and
decree as follows: Article 1
 The text of Article 172 of the Apostolic Constitution 'Pastor bonus' is
entirely substituted by the following text:
 1. This Office shall administer the assets belonging to the Holy See
allocated to provide the funds necessary for the performance of the functions
of the Roman Curia.
 2. The Office shall also administer the moveable assets entrusted to other
bodies of the Holy See. Article 2
 The text of Article 173 of the Apostolic Constitution 'Pastor bonus' is
entirely substituted by the following text:
 The office shall be presided over by a Cardinal, assisted by a determined
number of Cardinals and a Prelate Secretary.
 Article 3
 Articles 174 and 175 of the Apostolic Constitution 'Pastor bonus' are hereby
repealed.
 Article 4
 The Prefect of the Secretariat of the Economy shall constitute a technical
Commission with the aim of facilitating the transfer of the competences hereto
attributed to the Ordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of
the Holy See and shall determine, starting from today's date, the methods for
resolving pending issues relating to the aforementioned Ordinary Section, up
to the complete and effective transfer of competences.
 I decree that the measures decided in this Apostolic Letter issued Motu
Proprio be observed in their entirety, notwithstanding any provisions to the
contrary, even when worthy of special mention, and that it be published in the
daily newspaper 'L'Osservatore Romano', entering into force on the day of its
promulgation."

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 NEW ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK FOR THE HOLY SEE
 Vatican City, 9 July 2014 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office a
press conference was held to present the new economic plan for the Holy See.
The speakers were Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the
Economy, Joseph F. X. Zahra and Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, deputy coordinator
and member of the Council for the Economy respectively, and Ernst von
Freyberg, president of the Board of Superintendence of the Institute for the
Works of Religion (IOR).
 Cardinal George Pell announced new and important initiatives for improving
the economic management and administration of the Holy See and Vatican City
State. These changes, set in motion by the new Secretariat for the Economy,
are the fruit of a detailed analysis of the conclusions and recommendations of
the Pontifical Council for on the Organisation of the - of the Holy See
(COSEA), and are considered essential to face risks and weaknesses and, at the
same time, to create in the future a new platform for improving economic
management. All the changes were approved in the recent meetings of the
Council for the Economy (5 July) and the Council of Cardinals (1-4 July), and
it is expected that they will be approved by the Holy Father.
 The changes relate to APSA (the Administration of the Patrimony of the
Apostolic See), the Pension Fund, the Vatican media and the Institute for the
Works of Religion (IOR).
 The Prefect of the Secretariat of the Economy expressed his satisfaction with
the fact that the Holy Father has approved these important initiatives. Both
Cardinal Pell and the Council for the Economy gave thanks for the Pope's
unwavering support and contributions.
 "There are many challenges to face and much work to be done", Cardinal Pell
observed. "The COSEA has recommended that various issues be faced as a matter
of urgency, such as the transfer of the Ordinary Section of the APSA, the
Pension Fund, the media and the IOR. The Holy Father has clearly stated that
these changes must be made rapidly".
 The Cardinal went on to announce the creation of a small Project Management
Office (PMO), directed by Danny Casey, former business manager of the
archdiocese of Sydney, to implement and present some of the proposed changes,
beginning with the transfer of the Ordinary Section of the APSA to the
Secretariat for the Economy. The PMO will report directly to the Prefect of
the Secretariat for the Economy.
 In September 2014, the Secretariat for the Economy will begin to prepare the
budget for the year 2015. The aim is for all dicasteries and administrations
to draw up a budget to which they will adhere throughout the year. Spending
(within the agreed structure) will be the responsibility of each dicastery and
administration. It will then be compared with the budget in progress during
2015, and the dicastery in question will be accountable for any eventual
excess spending.
 "We are keen to pursue this work in the coming months", Cardinal Pell
concluded.
 The following are extracts from the proposals for change in the various
sectors, starting with the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic
See:
 The Ordinary Section of APSA is transferred to the Secretariat for the
Economy. This is an important step to enable the Secretariat for the Economy
to exercise its responsibilities of economic control and vigilance over the
agencies of the Holy See, including policies and procedures concerning
purchasing and the suitable allocation of human resources as defined in the
Motu Proprio Fidelis Dispensator et Prudens.
 The remaining staff of APSA will begin to focus exclusively on its role as a
Treasury for the Holy See and the Vatican City State. A key early task will be
continuing the work of establishing close relationships with all major Central
banks as recommended by MoneyVal, which will continue to ensure the liquidity
and financial stability of the Holy See. All sovereign institutions will have
an account at APSA which will serve as a Treasury for them.
 With regard to the Pension Fund, the Council for the Economy has appointed a
technical committee to study its current situation and to make proposals to
the Council for the Economy before the end of the year. The Council recognised
and acknowledged that the pensions being paid today and for the next
generation are safe but the fund needs to ensure there are sufficient funds
for future generations in a changing environment. Many Western countries have
faced challenges in their pension system over the last years. It is
anticipated that new statutes would be prepared by the end of 2014 to adapt
the Pension Fund's organisation to the new economic-administrative structure
of the Holy See.

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 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)