General Treasury Office: EUR News n° 27

EUR News n° 27
Information Newsletter Treasurer General’s Office
Rome, July 5, 2016

Dear Confreres,
On June 25 was the closing of the Consulta that kept us all busy, Assistants and Secretaries. We shall now try to offer a brief summary of the main decisions and most important events.

1. Ecuador: Solidarity with the earthquake victims. Last April 16, a massive earthquake struck Ecuador, causing hundreds of deaths and leaving thousands of people homeless. The Conference of Religious, in coordination with Caritas, Jesuits and other organizations, has organized important interventions in favor of the victims, to which the General Council, the Comboni provinces and their benefactors have so far sent a contribution of € 164.750.

2. Interventions of Extraordinary administrative. In the Consulta of June 2016, the General Council has approved several administrative acts of an extraordinary nature, as required by the respective provinces:

1. Central America: the sale of the house in Managua-Casares;
2. Kenya: sale of land in Langata;
3. Asia: purchase of land for the construction of a residence for the community in Vietnam.

3. Courses for the Provincial Treasurers. The next course for Provincial Treasurers will be held in Rome at the General House from 9 to 23 July 2017. Soon the program will be sent around and people may register.

4. Financial Council. In the meeting of May (24-27), the Financial Council considered the financial report of the General Administration as well as the provincial reports. For the General Administration we looked at the steps needed to update the reporting format to the parameters of a civil financial statements, as suggested by the auditors.

Most of the circumscriptions ended the year in surplus, while eleven provinces have closed with a deficit. For some it is a multi-year trend that deserves due consideration. Yet not all the reports were in the original copy and with the appropriate signatures. In some cases, some concern was raised for the lack of continuity of the opening balances compared with the previous year's reports. Only half of the reports were accompanied by explanatory notes which are sometimes necessary for understanding the figures. These and other indications suggest that not everywhere the secretariats and the audit have been effective.

In relation to the General Administration Funds, the Council has undertaken a revision of their statutes to complete and adapt them to the instructions of the XVIII General Chapter. In the meeting, several important processes were was also initiated, such as the guidelines for the audit of the accounts and pension funds.

5. Appointments of Provincial Treasurers. Recently two new circumscription treasurers were appointed: Bro. González Jiménez Luis Humberto for Peru-Chile; Bro. Rafael Naranjo Munoz for Congo. Overall in 2016 there were 5 new appointments (out of 27; 18%). The average age is now 58.67.

6. Reports for the Continental Assembly of the Provincial Treasurers in Africa. A draft outline for the report of the next continental assembly, to be held in Maputo from 30 October to 6 November, was sent to the Provincial Treasurers. The outline is composed of several questions seeking to develop the main themes of the assembly.

Coinciding with the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on June 3 was also celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the General House on Via Lilio in Rome. To celebrate these fifty years, 1966-2016, the three Curia communities invited the auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Rome, Msgr. Paul Loiudice who presided at the Eucharistic celebration, the scholastics of Casavatore (Naples) and the many friends from Rome. People and events were remembered. We thanked the Lord for his presence and protection, and the bonds of friendship with the people who have accompanied our missionary service to the Church were further strengthened. For the event, a small photographic exhibition was prepared, with a booklet of presentation.
Good summer time and good work to all!
Fr. Claudio Lurati, General Treasurer