CARDINALS Give Thumbs-up to Financial Reform

By Michael O'Loughlin
The Crux
February 13, 2015

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/02/13/cardinals-give-thumbs-up-to-financial-reform/

The Vatican’s ongoing efforts to reform its financial dealings were given a thumbs-up from the world’s cardinals in Rome today, a Vatican spokesman said.

The Rev. Federico Lombardi briefed reporters after a three-hour meeting of the College of Cardinals, during which the prelates were given an update by the pope’s point man on finances, Australian Cardinal George Pell, and three other leaders of the clean-up operation launched under Pope Francis.

The cardinals were appreciative of Pell’s work, Lombardi said.

“This type of reform helps the credibility of the Church, [and] there’s a sense that this spirit should also spread to dioceses,” he said.

Responding to Pell’s report, cardinals said reform must focus on “transparency, responsibility, and integrity,” Lombardi said.

The prelates are gathered in Rome to celebrate the creation of 20 new cardinals Saturday, a consistory demonstrative of the pope’s commitment to elevate those who work in the geographic peripheries of the Church.

The bishops tapped to become cardinals, seated together, were easily marked in the synod hall by their pink zucchettos amidst a sea of red. Those bishops will receive their red hats in a ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica.

In addition to financial reforms, cardinals considered the relationship between the Church’s central governing authority — the Roman Curia — and local churches.

Some present said they wanted to explore ways the curia can serve local churches more effectively, affirming the pope’s desire to decentralize power away from Rome.

Rather than focusing on decentralization, Lombardi said, cardinals are asking questions about applying the Church’s teaching on subsidiarity to church governance. In broad strokes, that’s a reference to how local churches could manage their own affairs as much as possible, with the Vatican stepping in only in rare cases when no solutions are available.

How national conferences of bishops might contribute to such a structure is being explored as well, although Lombardi cautioned that some cardinals noted such conferences “aren’t of divine right.”

Critics often argue that as the Vatican consolidated power in Rome in recent decades, the power of national conferences to influence the global Church has diminished significantly. Still, Lombardi said that many cardinals stressed the importance of the Vatican in running a global enterprise, especially for smaller, poorer dioceses that wouldn’t be able to stand on their own.

More from Crux

Pope Francis began a three-day tour of the Middle East in Jordan (EPA photo)

Pope begins pilgrimage with political edge in Jordan

Vatican claims progress on financial reform

More

Within those structures, cardinals stressed that laypeople, especially women, must be included, Lombardi said.

Although he has affirmed the Church’s position on an exclusively male priesthood, Pope Francis has repeatedly said that women must be part of the decision-making apparatus of the church at all levels.

Lombardi said it is unlikely a lay person would be eligible to lead a Vatican department, which traditionally are led by cardinals.

The meeting continued Friday afternoon with an update on the Vatican’s sexual abuse commission from Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley.