VATICAN CITY
Rome Reports
[with video]
December 20, 2012. (Romereports.com) The Vatican said it will also be tightening its belt to face the current economic crisis. The department tasked wit overseeing money matters within the Vatican, the Prefecture of Economic Affairs, announced new guidelines to help manage costs.
CARD. GIUSEPE VERSALDI
President, Prefecture of Economic Affairs
“With these guidelines, we are giving back, on behalf of the superior authority, the original role for the Prefecture of Economic Affairs, as was the will of Pope Paul VI.”
The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, signed the 34 point guidelines, which will go into effect right away. The measures aim to reduce costs in a gradual and effective manner. It also redefines the role of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs, in relation to other departments within the Vatican. Effective immediately, any of the prefecture’s caps on oversight and control are capped, and granted powers to administer costs.
MSGR. LUCIO ANGEL VALLEJO
Secretary, Prefecture of Economic Affairs
“We wanted to be clear, to have a truthful picture of the Holy See. To have not just two account balances, but four. They remain the same, the account balances for Vatican City, and the Curia. And we have two other realities that if we did not include in the account balances it wouldn’t show a truthful picture of the Church. Because it would appear that we don’t do any pastoral work, or any charity work. And that is not the case. The biggest account balance for the Holy See is its charity work. Its the money that the faithful send the Pope and that he distributes.”
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