George Pell Calls the Catholic Church to Account

By Dennis Shanahan, Political Editor
The Australian
April 11, 2015

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Not long after being appointed as fin­ancial controller of the Holy See, essentially the Vatican’s Treasurer and effectively one of the top four positions of the Catholic Church, Australia’s Cardinal George Pell shocked the ancient ways of the Curia in Rome by announcing he had discovered hundreds of millions of euros in lost funds.

As he prepares to deliver his first real budget on modern financial terms next month it seems Pell has built substantially on that fast start by uncovering more than ˆ1 billion in lost funds.

The uncovering of unused funds through modern accounting and international standards is only part of the reform challenge the Catholic Church faces as Pope Francis revives interest in the papacy worldwide with his fresh and spontaneous approach.

The administrative reforms run in parallel to theological changes and include the Pope’s impending encyclical on climate change and the Vatican’s global diplomatic push as the centre of gravity of the Catholic Church moves from Europe to Asia.

The issue for Francis, who has shocked some Vatican officials with his references to the possibility of following Pope Benedict in retiring early, is whether his burst of energy and quest for reform will be matched by the capabilities and will of the Vatican to deliver on the modernisation.