Pope calls for transparency in Church finance for the sake of the poor

May 02, 2014 - ‎Pope Francis on Friday urged every effort towards transparency in the handling of Church finances in ‎the Vatican. His exhortation came as he met the 15-member Council for the Economy that is holding its ‎first meeting. The international council of 8 cardinals and 7 lay experts was established by Pope Francis in ‎February to reform the economic, financial and administrative policies of the Vatican and all its offices. The Council for Economy is overseen by the new Secretariat for the Economy, which is headed by Australian Cardinal George ‎Pell. Insisting on the need to reform the Roman Curia or the Vatican administration, the Pope invited ‎the council members to fidelity and prudence on a path which he admitted is not simple. The Pontiff ‎called for a new mentality in the offices of the Holy See and the Roman Curia, stressing that the ‎Council for the Economy has a significant role in the task of reforming because it concerns the ‎Universal Church.
Another point on which the Pope insisted is that the role of the lay members of the council is ‎not ‘second class,’ but has full force. He also recalled the Church’s mission to the poor and invited all ‎to have a special concern for the needy. He called for “transparency and efficiency”, saying the Holy ‎See is called to put into action this mission, saying it has a special responsibility to the Universal Church. ‎Pope Francis said that the changes will reflect the will to reform the Roman Curia in order to serve the ‎Church and the mission of Peter better. “It is a considerable challenge that requires fidelity and ‎prudence,” the Pope admitted. ‎