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VATICAN CITY, 10 JUL 2010 (VIS) - The forty-fifth meeting of the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Problems of the Holy See was held in the Vatican from 7 to 9 July, under the presidency of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.
A communique published this afternoon explains that the Holy See consolidated financial statements for 2009, presented to the cardinals during the meeting by Archbishop Velasio De Paolis C.S., president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, show a deficit of 4,102,156 euro, the difference between an income of 250,182,364 euro and outgoings of 254,284,520 euro.
The outgoings are due above all to the ordinary and extraordinary expenses of the dicasteries and offices of the Holy See, which employ 2,762 people of whom 766 are ecclesiastics, 344 religious and 1,652 lay people.
The meeting also examined the consolidated financial statements of the Governorate of Vatican City State for 2009, which show a deficit of 7,815,183 euro. This represents an improvement with respect to last year which showed a loss of more than 15 million euro. A total of 1,891 people work under the jurisdiction of the Governorate.
The communique highlights "the considerable economic and financial burden of protecting, evaluating and restoring the artistic heritage of the Holy See (major restoration work on the Colonnade of St. Peter's Square, and work on the papal basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls and St. Mary Major). Equally high costs were sustained for the internal security of Vatican City State and for important restructuring work in the Vatican Apostolic Library, which is due to reopen this September".
Finally the consolidated financial statements of Peter's Pence were also presented. This fund consists of offers made to the Holy Father by the particular Churches, especially for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, and contributions by institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life, foundations and various members of the faithful. In 2009 a total of 65,688,141 euro was raised, an increase with respect to last year. "The largest contributions in 2009 came from Catholics in the United States, Italy and France. Particularly significant, considering the number of Catholics, were the contributions from Korea and Japan".
Bishops, depending on their resources and in keeping with canon 1271 of the Code of Canon Law, donated 25,066,541 euro. The largest donations came from dioceses in the United States, followed by those of Germany.
The communique concludes by noting that the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR) donated some 50 million euros for the activities of the Holy Father.
OP/ VIS 20100712 (440)
