General Treasury Office: EUR News n° 24

EUR News n° 24

Information Newsletter Treasurer General’s Office

Dear Confreres,
we are in the middle of the preparations for the upcoming General Chapter. The Pre-capitular Commission has just concluded its work and will return to Rome for the final preparations a few days before the beginning of the Chapter. Meanwhile, the financial proceedings of the Institute are continuing unabated and the last Consulta of the outgoing General Council (GC) has had quite a few questions to examine.

1. Balance Sheet 2014 of the General Administration. During the June Consulta the GC has approved the financial report of the General Administration for 2014, which closed with a slight surplus. The assets’ situation was carefully examined, as it underwent a number of changes due to an adjustment to the new Italian tax rules and the agreement between the Holy See and the Italian State.

When the report is completed with a summary of the circumscriptions reports, it will be sent to all the provinces. The confreres who wish to access the report may do so by contacting the Provincial Bursar. The desire to know the real economic situation of the Institute is not an inappropriate curiosity, but sense of responsibility.

2. Financial Council. The Financial Council met from May 26 to 29. The two main objectives of the meeting were the drafting of the report of the General Secretariat of Finance to the XVIII General Chapter and the review of the financial reports of the provinces.

From these reports it appears that only five provinces have closed with a deficit. Among these, two had also closed in the red also in 2012 and 2013.

3. Earthquake in Nepal. The CG has allocated € 20.000 to help the victims of the earthquake in Nepal. To these were added € 13.442 collected from various sources. The amount was sent to:

1. Caritas International (€ 16.842)
2. Fondazione Canossiane – North-India (€ 8.300)
3. Camillian Task Force (€ 8.300)

4. Interventions of extraordinary administration. In the Consulta of June 2015, the General Council authorized various administrative acts of extraordinary nature, as required by the respective provinces:

1. Mozambique: renovation of the ex pre postulancy to be used as a novitiate;
2. Portugal: selling of the house of Areeiro-Coimbra;

For other requests of authorization for extraordinary interventions that are above the limits set by the Chapter, the GC has requested additional information and additional time to reflect, because these are somehow new initiatives with a high impact in terms of funding and management.

5. Mccj Bulletin. In the July issue of the Mccj Bulletin (264) there will be two articles edited by the Treasurer General whose the content pertains to administration:

  - A common language: the general plan of the accounts;

  - Licence to administer: minimum common standard.

With these last articles a series of five topics on the TCF and its implementation is completed. The other articles were edited by Bro. Daniele Giusti:

  - On the way towards the Total Common Fund, Bulletin 259, April 2014, pp. 18-24.

  - Juridical assets and surroundings: elementary concepts, Bulletin 261, October 2014, pp. 54-68.

  - The “enterprises” in the context of the total common fund and beyond, Bulletin 263, April 2015, pp. 21-38.

6. Travel and commitments of the Treasurer General. For the current year there are no other trips foreseen by the Treasurer General, who will participate in the General Chapter as an observer. Bro. João Ferreira da Silva will visit the São Paolo scholasticate to give the course on administration, assisted by Fr. Vítor Anciães, provincial treasurer of Brazil.

At the time we write, the “Greek” storm is raging, with all the uncertainty that is causing both within the country and outside. Even the more cautious people admit to be facing something new: a single currency, established by consensus among sovereign States, is in danger of falling apart or losing some pieces. And no one is able to predict the consequences in the short or long term and how to limit its impact, especially on the most vulnerable sectors of society.

Is there something “new under the sun”? The biblical wisdom encourages us to assess with a certain detachment also this situation and to remember that the things that really matter remain unchanged: work, justice, prudence and caution about easy profits. And, above all, confidence in Providence: “Full of trust, I throw myself into the arms of God’s Providence and I am ready for anything, always fearless and full of trust, no matter what may happen” (S1049).

Good work!
Fr. Claudio Lurati
Treasurer General