Pell moves to Vatican for new job watching the budget

By Julian Drape And Peta Mccartney
Australian Financial Review
February 25, 2014

http://www.afr.com/p/national/pell_moves_to_vatican_for_new_job_4hD05UzzTLjw4TCGKNZRyK

Cardinal George Pell, seen here during a news conference at the start of the Royal Commission on institutional involvement in the sexual abuse of children, will be leaving Australia to take up a new role at the Vatican.

Julian Drape and Peta McCartney

Cardinal George Pell, who has been criticised by people testifying to the Royal Commission on sexual abuse, has been appointed to a job at the Vatican in charge of the Roman Catholic church’s budget.

Pope Francis said Pell would be in charge of a new body having authority over all economic and administrative activities within the Holy See and Vatican.

The shake-up – following a wave of scandals at the Vatican bank – is the first major overhaul of the church's outdated and inefficient bureaucracy in 25 years.

The Vatican said in a statement that Cardinal Pell “has been asked to start work as soon as possible” as head of the Secretariat for the Economy.

The Archbishop of Sydney said he was deeply honoured by the appointment.

“If we can get things in order within a couple of years it will be a substantial achievement of this papacy,” The Australian quoted Pell as saying.

“If we make better use of the resources entrusted to us we can improve our capacity to support the good works of the Church particularly for the poor and disadvantaged.”

Pope Francis appointed a commission of inquiry in mid-2013 to recommend ways to improve efficiency and transparency and reduce waste.

It last week suggested adopting international accounting standards and financial management and reporting practices, as well as boosting internal controls.

The new economics secretariat will oversee the finances of the Holy See – the central governing structure of the Catholic Church – and the Vatican City State – the 44-hectare city state in central Rome which includes the profit-making Vatican Museums and Vatican’s post office.

It will prepare an annual budget and detailed financial statements.

“This is long overdue and I had urged this step in my recent book on Rome,” Tim Fischer, Australia's first ambassador to the Holy See, said in an interview. “I wish Cardinal Pell well in this new role heading the new department.”

The new economics secretariat could significantly weaken the Vatican's powerful Secretariat of State which previously had administrative control over the Holy See while also handling diplomatic relations.

Cardinal Pell will report to a new 15-member economy council made up of eight cardinals reflecting various parts of the world and seven lay experts.

The Catholic Church in Australia is currently under the microscope of a royal commission into institutional responses to child sex abuse. Cardinal Pell was criticised in late 2013 for his evidence to a separate state parliamentary inquiry but was backed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.