Cardinals discuss economic situation of the Holy See at General Congregation

By Vatican News

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told reporters on Wednesday that 180 Cardinals attended the seventh General Congregation, of whom 124 were Cardinal electors.

In the first part of the meeting, the Cardinals discussed the economic and financial situation of the Holy See, with contributions from Cardinals Reinhard Marx, Kevin Farrell, Christoph Schönborn, Fernando Vergez, and Konrad Krajewski.

Cardinal Marx, coordinator of the Council for the Economy, presented several challenges, issues, and proposals from the perspective of sustainability, with the goal that the economic structures continue to support the reforms of the papacy.

Cardinal Schönborn spoke as president of the IOR Oversight Commission, and Cardinal Vergez shared several details regarding the situation of the Governorate of Vatican City State, mentioning the ongoing renovation work.

Cardinal Krajewski spoke about the activities of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity.

In the second part of the General Congregation, 14 Cardinals intervened on various topics, including the ecclesiology of the people of God and the wound caused by polarization within the Church and the division in society; synodality and episcopal collegiality as a way to overcome polarization; and vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Several references were made to the conciliar texts Lumen gentium and Gaudium et spes; and they discussed evangelization, especially focusing on the consistency between what is lived and what is proclaimed.

The General Congregation concluded at 12:30 PM with the prayer of the Regina Coeli.