(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ, offered a clarification on Friday in response to journalists’ questions regarding statements made by the Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, Cardinal George Pell, in connection with the ongoing financial review and reform efforts in the Vatican. In an exclusive piece for the new Catholic Herald Magazine (a preview of which appeared on December 3 rd in the Herald’s online pages), Cardinal Pell wrote, “[S]ome hundreds of millions of euros were tucked away in particular sectional accounts and did not appear on the balance sheet.”
Responding to journalists asking follow-up questions, Fr. Lombardi specified, “It should be noted that Cardinal Pell did not speak of illegal or mismanaged funds, but of funds that were not in the official accounts of the Holy See and Vatican City State, and of the existence of which the Secretariat for the Economy learned in the course of the ongoing process of study and review of the Vatican administrations, in order to achieve a more adequate [and] comprehensive understanding of [matters] with a view to the streamlining of operations.”
“This,” his statement continued, “is precisely the sign and fruit of constructive cooperation among the different institutions of the Vatican.”
Fr. Lombardi went on to stress that, as the Prefecture for Economic Affairs had already amply explained and made known to the public, the yearly consolidated financial statements of the Holy See and Vatican City State, which are presented to the Council of 15 Cardinals for review, have never been exhaustive, but have included only the principal institutions of the Curia and the Vatican City State.
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(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a Message to the organizers and participants in the Festival of the Family taking place on the shore of Lake Garda in north-central Italy on Friday. “The future of humanity depends upon the family,” writes the Holy Father in his Message, “and it is therefore necessary to allow [the…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a Message to the organizers and participants in the Festival of the Family taking place on the shore of Lake Garda in north-central Italy on Friday. “The future of humanity depends upon the family,” writes the Holy Father in his Message, “and it is therefore necessary to allow [the…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a Message to the organizers and participants in the Festival of the Family taking place on the shore of Lake Garda in north-central Italy on Friday. “The future of humanity depends upon the family,” writes the Holy Father in his Message, “and it is therefore necessary to allow [the family] to play its role,” in society.
The theme of the gathering is: the ecosystem of life and work . “It is not enough to reiterate the importance of the family and to affirm its rights,” continues Pope Francis’ Message, “it is necessary to consider how the tasks of the family and of society can be structured in real terms, especially with regard to the relationship between professional life and family life.”
The Message goes on to treat of public policy in relation to families, the social and legal status of the family in general, the assistance that should be offered to those who are materially or morally disadvantaged, and the attention that should be given to women in the workplace. “We must ensure that women are not, for economic reasons, compelled to undertake too heavy a burden or accept excessive working hours, which are then added to all their responsibilities in housekeeping and raising children,” explains the Holy Father. “Above all,” he writes, “it is necessary to recognise that women’s work, at all levels of family life, also constitutes an unparalleled contribution to the family and the future of society.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) An invitation to hold their next meeting in Iran, a commitment to pursuing interfaith dialogue and to opening up hearts and minds to the “other” in the family, school and society. Those were some of the results of the Third Catholic-Muslim Summit organized December 2-4 by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The…
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