June 27, 2013: Pope Francis has established a Pontifical Commission charged with
drawing up an “exhaustive” report into the activities, structure and legal status
of the Vatican’s Institute for the Works of Religion, more commonly known as the IOR.
The Commission is composed of 5 people. These include two US natives, Harvard
Law Professor Mary Ann Glendon and Monsignor Peter Bryan Wells, of the Vatican Secretariat
of State.
Presenting the Secretariat of State communique to journalists Wednesday,
Holy See press office Director, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. stated that the Commission
is tasked with carrying out inquiries and presenting the Holy Father with a report
of their findings “in view of possible reform".
Fr. Lombardi noted that the
Commission of 5 people is not permanent. It will present the report to the Pope and
then be dissolved. He also added that no deadline has been set.
The new Pontifical
Commission, which will begin its work in the coming days, is not involved in running
the Institution. Its main aim will be to study it to help Pope Francis ensure the
IOR’s activities are in harmony with the Churches’ mission.
Below please find
a Vatican Radio translation of the Comuniquè issued by the Secretariat of State:
Chirography
of the Holy Father Francis for the institution of a Pontifical Commission of Referral
for the Institute of Religious Works.
The Holy Father has established a Pontifical
Commission to the Institute for the Works of Religion with a Letter of June 24 . As
you can see from the text of Chirograph published today, the opportunity to establish
a Contact the Commission arose from the desire of the Holy Father to learn more about
the juridical position and activities of the Institute to enable better harmonization
of said Institute with the mission of the Universal Church and the Apostolic See,
in the more general context of reforms that should be carried out by the institutions
that aid the Apostolic See. The Commission aims to collect information on the Institute
and present the results to the Holy Father.
As specified in the Chirograph,
during the course of the Commission’s work, the Institute will continue to operate
according to the 1990 Chirograph that established it, except as otherwise provided
by the Holy Father. The purposes and powers of the Commission are described in more
detail in the aforementioned Chirograph same.
The members of the Commission
are: Cardinal Raffaele Farina, President Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran,
Member Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru, Coordinator Monsignor
Peter Bryan Wells, Secretary Professor Mary Ann Glendon, Member The Commission
will begin its work in the coming days. The Holy Father augurs a happy and productive
collaboration between the Commission and the Institute. Following is the Holy Father
Francis' complete Chirograph by which he establishes a Pontifical Referring Commission
for the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR).
“With his Chirograph of
1 March 1990, Blessed John Paul II established the Institute for the Works of Religion
as a public juridical entity, giving the Institute a new configuration while maintaining
its name and purpose. With the same perspective, taking into account that he wished
to better adapt the Institute's structures and activities to the needs of the times;
following the invitation of Our Predecessor Benedict XVI to allow the Gospel principles
to permeate even the activities of an economic and financial nature; having heard
the opinion of various Cardinals and other brothers in the Episcopate as well as other
collaborators; and in light of the need to introduce reforms in the Institutions that
give aid to the Apostolic See; We have decided to establish a Referring Commission
for the Institute for the Works of Religion that will gather accurate information
on the Institute's legal position and various activities, in order to allow, if necessary,
a better harmonization of the same with the universal mission of the Apostolic See.
The Commission is to carry out its proper duties in accordance with this Chirograph
and Our working arrangements. 1) The Commission shall consist of a minimum of five
Members, among which is a President who is its legal representative, a Coordinator
who has the ordinary powers of delegation and acts on behalf of the Commission in
collecting documents, data, and the necessary information, as well as a Secretary
who assists the members and keeps the acts. 2) The Commission is endowed with the
powers and faculties appropriate to performing its official institutional duties within
the limits established by this Chirograph and the norms of the juridical system. The
Commission is to collect the documents, data, and information necessary to the performance
of its official institutional duties. Workplace confidentiality and other restrictions
established by the juridical system shall not inhibit or limit the Commission's access
to documents, data, or information, except as subject to the norms that protect the
autonomy and independence of the Authorities that are engaged in the supervision and
regulation of the Institute, which shall remain in force. 3) The Commission shall
have the human and material resources appropriate to its institutional functions.
If needed, it shall make use of contractors and consultants. 4) The governance
of the Institute shall continue to operate in accordance with the Chirograph that
established it, unless We provide for otherwise. 5) The Commission shall rely upon
the willing cooperation of the Bodies of the Institute along with its entire staff.
In addition, the Superiors, Members, and Officials of the Dicasteries of the Roman
Curia and the other agencies related to it as well as the Vatican City State shall
likewise cooperate with the Commission. 6) The Commission shall keep Us informed
of its proper activities in the course of its work. 7) The Commission will deliver
to Us the results of its work, as well as its entire archive, in a timely manner upon
the conclusion of its tasks. 8) The Commission's activities shall take effect from
the date of this present Chirograph. 9) The dissolution of the Commission will
be announced. Given at the Vatican on 24 June 2013, in the first year of my Pontificate.