General Treasury Office: EUR News n° 8

1 – The 2004 Financial Report is ready and it will be studied by the General Council for Finance in the meeting from 19 to 22 April 2005. The provincial reports have arrived almost all on time, as some have had problems with sending them.
From an analysis made on the reports, already done when considering the 2005 budget, it clearly appears that there will be a decrease in the ordinary income, especially with regard to the Contributions for the expenses of the General Administration, due to the devaluation of the American dollar. Considering this fact, the General Council (GC) has accepted the proposal to increase the amount of the contributions , already from and for the year 2005, from 200 to 260 US dollars for each confrere of perpetual vows and not yet of 65 years of age. The amount has been duly debited during the month of April 2005.

2 – Due to the change that has taken place this year in the provinces/delegations on account of the new elections, it is important to remind you again of the norms of the General Directory for Finance concerning requests for assistance:
n 4 Requests of extraordinary contributions for the work of the Institute are to be presented by the Provincial Council to the General Administration, which will examine them and, if approved, implement them through the General Treasury or send them out to other Provinces for the financing with the relative documentation
n 4.1 Extraordinary contributions that a Province gives for the work of the Institute or of other Provinces are recorded in the accounts of the General Treasury, which will make a report to the whole Institute.

3 - The GC thanks all the confreres and provinces that have sent contributions to assist the Tsunami’s victims in South-East Asia. From the very beginning our decision was not to send our contributions to international organisations, but rather to religious and missionary Institutes working in the area hit by the tragedy.

The GC has opted for four male and four female Institutes:
PIME who have projects for the resumption of financial and working activities, like rebuilding schools and providing new boats to fishermen (Andatane and Nicobar islands); Divine Word Missionaries (Verbiti) who tackle the problem of water, chapels, schools, training workshops, primary assistance and boats (Nias, Banda, Aceh, Sabang, Lhokseumawe and Singkil islands); the “Guanelliani” who sustain projects to assist minors, reconstruction of houses, work for fishermen, family adoption; the Italian Caritas.
The Pious Disciples Sisters who provide for the rebuilding of houses in India; The Presentation Dominican Sisters who give priority to the replacement of boats in India; The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul who care for children in Indonesia and Java; The Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida who work in Thailand.
The charity of the Comboni Missionaries is thus spread throughout the devastated area to assist diverse and complementary sectors, as the action of charity goes hand in hand with the announcing of the Word.

4 – There is a small change in the financing of the Renewal Course in Rome: the accommodation expenses will be paid by the General Administration with a contribution from the participants. In particular:
- The accommodation in Rome will be refunded to the Curia Community for the same amount as for the Scholasticate – the Priests of the Course will apply the Mass intentions or “Misa pro mensa”.
- Their staying in other places will follow the same norm, according to the amount requested;
- For the travelling expenses in the Holy Land the participants, or their provinces, will normally contribute 50%.

5 – The building of the Curia in Rome in Via Luigi Lilio, 80, is experiencing the damage of time: it was built in the years 1962-1964 and the plumbing is now in need of constant repairs. The GC has approved to have an estimate about replacing it, an expense that will be acutely felt by the General Administration’s finances for the next few months.

6 – Next meetings and commitments of the General Financial Administration:
19-22 April 2005: General Council for Finance in Rome.
26-29 April 2005: Continental Assembly for Treasurers in Paris.
16-19 July 2005: Participation in the Assembly of Formation in Palencia.
13-14 August 2005: Assembly of local treasurers in Colombia.
18-20 August 2005: Technical meeting in Bogotá
22-27 August 2005: Continental Assembly of treasurers in Bogotá
29-31 August 2005: Visit to Ecuador.
31 Oct. - 5 Nov. 2005: Continental Assembly of English-speaking Africa in Lilongwe
(?)7-8 November 2005: Technical meeting in Lilongwe.

Visits to be organised in 2006: Chad – Togo – South Brazil – Brazil “Nordeste” – NAP – Khartoum.