Pope Francis asks cardinals to work to achieve “zero deficit”

Pope Francis has called on the cardinals to work to achieve the goal of “zero deficit” in the economy of the Catholic Church, through cost reduction, the search for external resources and evangelical generosity.

In the letter, dated September 16 and released this Friday by the Vatican Press Office, Pope Francis recalls that 10 years ago the Roman Curia began to reform in the spirit of the principle The Church must always be reformed (The Church always reformed. In this time, he points out, “despite the difficulties and, sometimes, the temptation of immobility and rigidity in the face of change, much has been achieved over the years.”

Focused on the economic reform of the Holy See—“one of the themes that have most characterized the General Congregations prior to the Conclave,” he pointed out—Pope Francis has called for “an additional effort on the part of everyone so that the ‘zero deficit’ “It is not just a theoretical objective, but a truly achievable goal.”

This objective is based on the awareness that “the economic resources at the service of the mission are limited and must be managed with rigor and seriousness so that the efforts of those who have contributed to the heritage of the Holy See are not dissipated.”

Along with the objective of not going into debt, the Pontiff points out “the need for each institution to work in the search for external resources for its mission, setting an example of transparent and responsible management at the service of the Church.”

On the other hand, Pope Francis calls for setting an example “on the front of cost reduction”, trying to avoid “the superfluous” and selecting priorities well, “favoring mutual collaboration and synergies.”

“We must be aware that today we are faced with strategic decisions that we must take with great responsibility, because we are called to guarantee the future of the Mission,” warns the Pontiff.

Learn from family solidarity

To achieve the goal of better managing resources, Pope Francis points out that “the Institutions of the Holy See have much to learn from the solidarity of good families” that help each other. Thus, “Institutions with a surplus should help cover the general deficit. This means caring for the good of our community, acting with generosity, in the evangelical sense of the term, as a prerequisite for asking for generosity also from outside.”

Finally, the Pope asks the cardinals to welcome “this message with courage and a spirit of service” and calls for support for these reforms “with conviction, loyalty and generosity, proactively contributing with your knowledge and experience.”

“Each of the institutions of the Holy See forms a single body with all the others: therefore, authentic collaboration and cooperation towards the sole objective, the good of the Church, is an essential requirement of our service,” concludes the Pontiff. .