Pope Francis establishes Commission on Economic Structures
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday established the Pontifical Commission for Reference
on the Organisation of the economic-administrative structure of the Holy See, a special
commission to reform its economic and administrative departments. The Holy Father
has already established a separate commission overseeing the Institute for the Works
of Religion, commonly called the Vatican Bank. Listen to our report:
The
full text of the announcement is below:
CHIROGRAPH OF THE HOLY
FATHER FRANCIS FOR THE INSTITUTION OF A PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR REFERENCE ON THE
ECONOMIC-ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE HOLY SEE
The Holy Father, by a chirograph
dated 18 July, has established a Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organisation
of the economic-administrative structure of the Holy See.
The Commission will
gather information, report to the Holy Father and co-operate with the Council of Cardinals
for the study of the organisational and economic problems of the Holy See, in order
to draft reforms of the institutions of the Holy See, with the aim of a “simplification
and rationalisation of the existing bodies and more careful planning of the economic
activities of all the Vatican Administrations”.
As explained in the Chirograph,
the Committee will “offer the technical support of specialist advice and develop strategic
solutions for improvement, so as to avoid the misuse of economic resources, to improve
transparency in the processes of purchasing goods and services; to refine the administration
of goods and real estate; to work with ever greater prudence in the financial sphere;
to ensure correct application of accounting principles; and to guarantee healthcare
and social security benefits to all those eligible”.
The Commission will be
able to collaborate, on request, with the working Group of eight Cardinals in drafting
a plan for the reform of the Apostolic Constitution “Pastor Bonus” on the Roman Curia.
The
aims and the appointments of the Commission are described in detail in the Chirograph
itself.
The members of the Commission are laypeople, experts in “legal, economic,
financial and organisational matters”, currently eminent consultants or reviewers
for Vatican or ecclesiastical economic institutions. The only member of the clergy
is the Secretary.
The eight members are:
Dr. Joseph FX Zahra (Malta),
President Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda (Secretary of the Prefecture for Economic
Affairs), Secretary Mr Jean-Baptiste de Franssu (France) Dr. Enrique Llano (Spain) Dr.
Jochen Messemer (Germany) Ms. Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui (Italy) Mr. Jean
Videlain-Sevestre (France) Mr. George Yeo (Singapore)
Dr. Zahra and Dr.
Messemer are International reviewers of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the
Holy See.
The Commission will begin its work as soon as possible. A first
meeting is scheduled for shortly after the Holy Father’s return from Brazil.
The
Holy Father hopes for a happy and productive collaboration between the Commission
and the Vatican Administrations associated with its work.
[01063-02.01] [Original
text: Italian - working translation]