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Held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 15 and 16, in the Vatican was the meeting of the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Problems of the Holy See, presided over by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B.
The Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See was represented by the president, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, C.S. and by the account and comptroller general, Dr. Stefano Fralleoni.
The Governorate of Vatican City State (VCS) and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APAS) were represented by: Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, respectively president of the Cardinals’ Commission for VCS and secretary general of the Governorate of VCS; Cardinal Attilio Nicora and Archbishop Domenico Calcagno, respectively president and secretary of the A.P.A.S.
Intervening on the invitation of the Secretary of State were, in the matter of their competence, the director general of Vatican Radio, Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., and Dr. Alberto Gasbarri, administrative director.
Cardinal Velasio De Paolis illustrated first the estimated 2011 Consolidated Balance-sheet of the Holy See and, subsequently, the Estimated Balance-sheet of the Governorate of Vatican City State for the same year.
As noted, the area of consolidation regards the organisms that are part of the Roman Curia, the Apostolic Chamber and the Holy See’s «media» institutions, namely: Vatican Radio, Vatican Press, L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Television Center and the Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
The Governorate, which has an independent administration from contributions from the Holy See and from other institutions, provides for the economic exigencies and the territorial management of the State, furnishing the necessary support structure to the Apostolic See and related activities.
The total picture that emerges from the above-mentioned estimated balance-sheets, though in the presence of clear signs of recovery, still reflects the uncertainties of the global economic system, but also of the growing costs of management. This seems evident above all for the Holy See, whose irreplaceable source of financial support is constituted by the free donations of the faithful. The members of the Council expressed profound gratitude for the support that they give, often anonymously, to the universal ministry of the Holy Father, exhorting them to persevere in this good work.
The balance-sheets, as usual, were subjected to verification and control by the Prefecture of Economic Affairs.
[Translation by ZENIT]
