spending crackdown to reduce deficit –

Tightening Vatican spending, Pope Francis puts the purples on a “diet”. “It is now necessary for everyone to make a further effort so that a ‘zero deficit’ is not just a theoretical objective, but an actually achievable goal”, writes Jorge Mario Bergoglio in a letter to the College of Cardinals. “On the side of cost reduction, we must give a concrete example so that our service is carried out with a spirit of essentiality, avoiding the superfluous and selecting our priorities well, encouraging mutual collaboration and synergies”, writes the pontiff to the cardinals, “we must be aware that today we are faced with strategic decisions to be taken with great responsibility, because we are called to guarantee the future of the Mission” of the Church.

What the Pope is asking for, in addition to the reduction of expenses, is also a sign of concrete solidarity between the dicasteries. “The institutions of the Holy See have much to learn from the solidarity of good families”, he underlines in the letter, which draws inspiration from the tenth anniversary of the start of the reform of the Curia, “Just as in these families those who enjoy a good economic situation come to the aid of the neediest members, the institutions that record a surplus should contribute to covering the general deficit. This means taking care of the good of our community, acting with generosity, in the evangelical sense of the term, as an indispensable prerequisite for asking for generosity also from outside”. “I ask you to welcome this message with courage, a spirit of service and to support the ongoing reforms with conviction, loyalty and generosity”, concludes the Pope, “contributing proactively with your knowledge and experience to the reform process. Each of the institutions of the Holy See forms a single body with all the others: therefore, authentic collaboration and cooperation towards the sole goal, the good of the Church, represents an essential requirement of our service”.