Pope approves new transparent rules for funding Saints' Causes

Pope Francis has approved a new series of rules governing the establishment and management of funds used for investigations into the lives of people proposed for sainthood. The approval 'ad experimentum' will, for a period of three years, govern the way funds for the Causes of Saints are established and managed, especially at the 'Roman phase' of the process, which follows initial evidence collection at the diocesan level and the preparation of a position paper - often thousands of pages long and containing painstakingly assembled intimate details of the proposed saint's earthly life and career - to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome, which forms the basis of the Roman phase proper. All of this can prove extremely costly and time-consuming.

The new norms seek to increase transparency in the process and assist in limiting costs by requiring regular and detailed accounting, creating disciplinary procedures in case of misuse, and providing for the liquidation of funds established for causes, once the process reaches its conclusion.

In addition, the new norms provide for the creation of a 'solidarity fund' supplied by freely given donations from the promoters of causes or any other source. In the case of real and genuinely documented need, appeals for assistance from the Solidarity Fund are to be made by the promoters of causes, through the local bishop. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints will evaluate case by case.

Two recent books by Italian journalists, revealed that the Vatican's secretive saint-making process brought in hundreds of thousands of euros in donations for each saintly candidate, but had virtually no financial oversight as to how the money was spent. The books estimated the average cost for each beatification at about 500,000 euros ($A750,000), with much of the proceeds going to a few people with contracts to do the often time-consuming investigations into the candidates' lives. While candidates who inspire wealthy donors would progress quickly, those with less wealthy devotees would be neglected. The new system should be fairer and less expensive.

Source: Vatican Radio