LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCISTO THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS
In a letter addressed to the College of Cardinals, dated 16 September 2024, Pope Francis observed that ten years have gone by since the beginning of the reform of the Roman Curia and he reminded them of their role and responsibility in this regard. Reflecting on the progress made since the reforms began, thanks to the promulgation of Praedicate Evangelium, the Apostolic Constitution that reorganized the Roman Curia and laid the foundation for reform efforts across Vatican institutions, the Pope reiterated the principle of Ecclesia semper reformanda—"the Church must always be reformed"—as the guiding spirit behind the changes.
Dear Brothers,
Ten years ago we began the reform of the Roman Curia and, through the Apostolic Constitution Predicate Evangelium, the new organization of the Holy See was established, specifying its guiding principles and purposes. Ecclesia semper reformanda: this was the spirit that animated the reform, in order to ensure that the Roman Curia assists the Successor of Peter in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office for the good and service of the universal Church and the particular Churches.
If this updating represents a testimony of vitality and grace, we know the dedication and efforts of women and men committed to adapting to this movement of renewal. To you, brother Cardinals, in the function of assisting the Roman Pontiff in the governance of the universal Church, it has been up to you to accompany those who have been involved in this process of transformation.
Despite the difficulties and, at times, that temptation of immobility and rigidity in the face of change, many results have been achieved in these years. I thank you for the help you have given and continue to give. With these premises, I would now like to address again one of the themes that has most characterized the General Congregations before the Conclave: the economic reform of the Holy See. The past years have shown that the requests for reform urged in the past by many exponents of the College of Cardinals have been farsighted and have allowed us to acquire a greater awareness of the fact that the economic resources at the service of the mission are limited and must be managed with rigor and seriousness so that the efforts of those who have contributed to the patrimony of the Holy See are not wasted.
For these reasons, a further effort is now required on the part of everyone so that a “zero deficit” is not only a theoretical objective, but an actually achievable goal. The reform has laid the foundations for the implementation of ethical policies that allow us to improve the economic performance of the existing patrimony. This is accompanied by the need for each Institution to work to find external resources for its mission, setting an example of transparent and responsible management at the service of the Church.
On the cost reduction front, we need to set 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. 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.
The Institutions of the Holy See have much to learn from the solidarity of good families. 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 the outside.
In conclusion, I ask you to welcome this message with courage, a spirit of service and to support the ongoing reforms with conviction, loyalty and generosity, 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.
With this spirit and this awareness I ask you to accompany our work with fidelity and trust.
From the Vatican, 16 September 2024
FRANCIS
Dear Brothers,
Ten years ago we began the reform of the Roman Curia and, through the Apostolic Constitution Predicate Evangelium, the new organization of the Holy See was established, specifying its guiding principles and purposes. Ecclesia semper reformanda: this was the spirit that animated the reform, in order to ensure that the Roman Curia assists the Successor of Peter in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office for the good and service of the universal Church and the particular Churches.
If this updating represents a testimony of vitality and grace, we know the dedication and efforts of women and men committed to adapting to this movement of renewal. To you, brother Cardinals, in the function of assisting the Roman Pontiff in the governance of the universal Church, it has been up to you to accompany those who have been involved in this process of transformation.
Despite the difficulties and, at times, that temptation of immobility and rigidity in the face of change, many results have been achieved in these years. I thank you for the help you have given and continue to give. With these premises, I would now like to address again one of the themes that has most characterized the General Congregations before the Conclave: the economic reform of the Holy See. The past years have shown that the requests for reform urged in the past by many exponents of the College of Cardinals have been farsighted and have allowed us to acquire a greater awareness of the fact that the economic resources at the service of the mission are limited and must be managed with rigor and seriousness so that the efforts of those who have contributed to the patrimony of the Holy See are not wasted.
For these reasons, a further effort is now required on the part of everyone so that a “zero deficit” is not only a theoretical objective, but an actually achievable goal. The reform has laid the foundations for the implementation of ethical policies that allow us to improve the economic performance of the existing patrimony. This is accompanied by the need for each Institution to work to find external resources for its mission, setting an example of transparent and responsible management at the service of the Church.
On the cost reduction front, we need to set 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. 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.
The Institutions of the Holy See have much to learn from the solidarity of good families. 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 the outside.
In conclusion, I ask you to welcome this message with courage, a spirit of service and to support the ongoing reforms with conviction, loyalty and generosity, 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.
With this spirit and this awareness I ask you to accompany our work with fidelity and trust.
From the Vatican, 16 September 2024
FRANCIS
Comments