Saturday, May 3, 2014

Meeting the Council for the Economy

At 11:40am on Friday morning, in the Sala dei Papi in the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in Audience the members of the Council for the Economy.

After greeting His Eminence, Reinhard Cardinal Marx, Archbishop of Munchen und Freising (Germany), the Coordinator of the Council for the Economy, the Pope addressed a few words to all those who were present.


Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to the members of the Council for the Economy


Thank you very much for this meeting and for the work that you are doing.  Thank you very much.  We need it, you know, to carry on this work in the sense that Cardinal Marx explained.  The Council for the Economy was established with the Motu proprio Fidelis dispensator et prudens on February 24 of this year, together with the Secretariat for the Economy and the Office of the Auditor General.  The Motu proprio emphasizes the very important mission of this act: the Church's awareness of her responsibility to protect and to carefully manage her assets in the light of her mission of evangelization, with particular regard for those who are in need.  The Cardinal explained it well, and we should not stray from this mandate.  For this reason, everything we do must be transparent and efficient.

The Holy See feels called to implement this mission, especially taking account of her responsibility toward the Universal Church.  In other words, these changes will respect the desire to enact any necessary reforms of the Roman Curia in order that she might better serve the Church and the Petrine mission.  This is no small challenge, one which will require fidelity and prudence: fidelis dispensator et prudens.  The path ahead will not be easy; it requires courage and determination.  A new mindset of evangelical service should be established in the various administrations of the Holy See.  The Council for the Economy plays a significant role in the needed process of reform; it has the task of overseeing the required economic management and of supervising the structure, as well as the administrative and financial activities of the various management offices; it carries out its work in strict relation to the Secretariate for the Economy.  I wish to take this opportunity to also thank Cardinal Pell for his efforts, for his work, and also for his Australian rugby tenacity.  Thank you, Your Eminence.

The Council represents the Universal Church: eight Cardinals from various particular Churches, seven lay people representing various parts of the world, each of which contribute his or her own experience for the good of the Church and of its particular mission.  The lay members are indeed fully part of this new Council: they are not second class members, no!  Everyone is on the same level.  The work of the Council bears a heavy weight and is of great importance.  It offers a fundamental contribution toward the service rendered to the Roman Curia and the various administrations of the Holy See.

I wish you success in your work, and I want to thank you very much for that which you have already accomplished as well as for all that you will do.  Thank you very much.  And please pray for me: I need your prayers!

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