Some Vatican offices resisting economic reforms, cardinal reports

February 11, 2015

Some powerful Vatican offices have resisted plans for financial reforms, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier told the Catholic News Service.

The South African cardinal, who is a member of the newly created Council for the Economy, said that plans to bring accountability and transparency to Vatican financial affairs had proved unpopular with some offices.

Cardinal Napier cited as an example the Congregation for Evangelization, which has exercised enormous influence over the Church in missionary territories. The Congregation has traditionally managed its own budget, held its own investments, and made its own decisions about where and when funds should be spent. Under new rules taking effect this year, all financial transactions must now be reported through the Secretariat for the Economy.

Cardinal Napier said that resistance to the new rules was “a hiccup” rather than a crisis. He said that it is important to secure the cooperation of the largest Vatican offices, “so the little ones have a good example.”

 

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Further information:

• Vatican's economic reform on track, resistance from some, cardinal says (CNS)