While the world celebrates the election of the first Pope born in the United States, the president of the only beneficial organization based in the United States, dedicated to carrying out humanitarian aid projects of the Holy Father, considers that the Pontificate of Leo XIV could increase charitable donations in the North American country.
“Yes I believe that, because of the fact that Pope Leon is American, he will have a special relationship with the Americans, which should translate into an increase in donations for their causes in favor of the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalized,” said Ward Fitzgerald, president of the Papal Foundation Council.
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Financed by donations of their “Stewards of St. Peter”(San Pedro’s butlers), Papal Foundation supports humanitarian aid projects designated by the Pope and the continuous formation of priests and religious. “Between 90 and 95% of these benefactors are Americans,” according to Fitzgerald, who emphasized that none of his contributions goes to the Vatican or the Holy See.
Part of the reason why Fitzgerald believes that the election of the new Pontiff could positively influence donations, not only to the foundation but also the Vatican, is that the new Holy Father is a native Angloparent.
“Very often … the Pope feels a bit alien to the Americans,” he said. “We have no right as a society to have a (Pope) who speaks our language, just as no other country has that right. But it can be useful to energize the faith and causes of the Holy See when communication can be better.”
“I think it is especially important in an era, unfortunately, in which people constantly use the video and the phone,” he added.
Ultimately, he said, “I believe that communication through the spoken word, instead of writing, will help Americans to embrace the causes of the Pope, which include the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable.”
Fitzgerald, who has met Cardinal Robert Prevost – now Papa Leo XIV – described the new Pontiff as politically or from the right or left, but as a “conservative conservative or conservative compassionate.”
He pointed out that the philosophy of the Pontiff relies on three pillars: an appreciation for the harmony between faith and reason, molded by his study of Saint Thomas Aquinas; a commitment to bring people to Christ, rooted in their Augustinian influences; and a deep concern about the poor and marginalized, reflected in their service in Peru.
In addition to being president of the Foundation Council, Fitzgerald He is Executive Director and Founder of Excorde Capitala private capital firm specialized in debt and real estate capital markets. One of the things he expects to see under the pontificate of Leo XIV is greater transparency in Vatican finances and a better administration of his real estate.
“I think the universal church would be more charitable with the Vatican if it understood their finances,” he said, pointing out the general impression that there is waste and lack of supervision.
“I don’t say it is true or false because I have no idea,” he said. “But I think the impression is that, if they can clearly communicate where the capital is going … I think the world would support it.”
“Again, because this Pope is from the United States, and the United States turns out to be a more prosperous country than many others, the United States will probably contribute more than its fair part towards those goals,” he added.
As for the real estate of the Vatican, Fitzgerald said that, although sometimes the properties of the church can be a true asset, other times they can be “a burden and a burden.”
“Now is the time to get rid of the burden of trying to maintain real estate that are not relevant to the mission of the truth of the Church and Jesus Christ,” he concluded.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Low Elhabbal
Madalaine Elhabbal is a CNA journalist based in the Washington DC office in EWTN. He has published articles in Catholicvote and has also worked as a foreign language assistant in France. She is a graduate of Benedictine College.