Sweeping reforms to Vatican's media, financial operations

July 09, 2014

Cardinal George Pell has announced plans for a restructuring of the Vatican offices that handle financial affairs, and a major review of the Vatican's media operations.

At a July 9 news conference Cardinal Pell, the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, outlined plans for the future of the Vatican bank, the pension fund, and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA). While these announcements about changes in the Vatican's financial offices had been expected, the cardinal added a surprise announcement of a plan for reform of the Vatican's media operations.

The changes announced at the Vatican bank, the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), followed upon the previous day's announcement that the IOR would be given an entirely new management team and a tighter new focus of activity. As widely anticipated, Jean-Baptiste de Franssu was introduced as the new president of the IOR.

Cardinal Pell said that Lord Christopher Patten, a veteran British politician, would chair an expert committee assigned to conduct a thorough review of Vatican media operations, with the goal of providing better for better coordination among the various Vatican organs of public communication and responding to the new opportunities provided by social media.

For more detailed reports on the changes in Vatican financial offices, and the review of the media operations, see today's separate CWN news stories.

 

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Further information:

• New Economic Framework for the Holy See (VIS)
• Motu Proprio on the Transfer of Competences to the Secretariat of the Economy (VIS)
• Major reforms to Vatican financial, media organs (Vatican Radio)
• Transparent, straight-forward and efficient (L’Osservatore Romano)
• New management, new changes coming for reformed Vatican bank (CWN, 7/9)