CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF
SAINTS
NORMS REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION
OF TEMPORAL GOODS IN THE CAUSES OF BEATIFICATION AND CANONIZATION
Rescriptum ex Audientia
Sanctissimi
The Supreme Pontiff Francis, in an Audience granted to the
undersigned Cardinal Secretary of State on the 4th of March in the Year of Our
Lord 2016, approved the new “Norms regarding the Administration of the Temporal
Goods of the Causes of Beatification and Canonization”, repealing those
previously approved by St John Paul II
on 20 August 1983.
The Supreme Pontiff has disposed that the aforesaid Norms,
together with the present Rescript, be promulgated and published in
L’Osservatore Romano, establishing that the same enter into force ad
experimentum for three years starting from the date of approval.
From the Vatican, 7 March 2016
Cardinal Pietro Parolin Secretary of State
Norms regarding the Administration of Temporal Goods in the Causes of
Beatification and Canonization
Premise
Causes for Beatification and Canonization are complex and
therefore require a great deal of work and involve expenses for the
dissemination of knowledge of the figure of the Servant of God or Blessed, for
the diocesan or eparchial inquiry, for the review of the Cause in Rome and
finally for the celebration of the beatification or canonization.
In what pertains to the Roman phase, given that Causes by
their unique nature are a public good, the Apostolic See covers all expenses, in
which the other Parties participate by way of contribution, and is vigilant that
the costs be contained such that they do not hinder the development of the
Cause.
I. Temporal Goods of the Cause and Designation of the Administrator
1. The Petitioner, upon the acceptance of the petitioning
libellus, establishes a fund of material resources, or goods, for the costs
of the Cause.
2. The fund established for a Cause of Beatification or
Canonization comes from offerings made by both physical and juridic persons and,
on account of its particular nature, figures as a “fund for a pious cause”.
3. Upon the consent of the Bishop or Eparch, the Petitioner
appoints the Administrator of the fund. The Postulator General may assume the
duties of Administrator.
4. For Causes in their Roman phase, the Postulator
communicates the nomination of the Administrator to the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints.
II. Administration
5. The Administrator is obliged to observe the Norms
regarding the administration of temporal goods for pious causes.(1) In particular,
the Administrator must:
a. rigorously respect the intention of those who make the
offerings;(2)
b. keep regularly updated accounts;
c. draw up an annual financial report, estimate (by 30
September) and final statement (by 31 March), which must be submitted by the
Petitioner for due approval;
d. send the Postulator copies of the budget approved by the
Petitioner.
6. The General Postulations require that the accounts of each
Cause be kept separate.
7. Should the Petitioner wish to use even a fraction of the
funds for ends different than those of the Cause, the Petitioner must obtain the
authorization of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.
8. On reception of the budget and immediately upon its
approval, the Petitioner sends a copy to the competent authority to be audited,
as contained in n. 9.
III. Overseeing the Administration
9. The authority with competence to oversee, for the diocesan
or eparchial phase or for the Roman phase, is:
a. the diocesan Bishop, Eparch or person qualified by law in
the sphere of his jurisdiction;(3)
b. the Major Superior for Institutes of Consecrated Life and
Societies of Apostolic Life, in that sphere of jurisdiction;
c. other ecclesiastical authority.(4)
10. Oversight is exercised over all transactions inherent to
the Cause, both incoming and outgoing.
11. The authority with competence to oversee the annual
statements approves the budget of the Cause and sends a copy thereof to the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
12. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, as the highest
supervising authority:
a. may at any time request of the Administrator, as well of
the Postulator or Petitioner of the Cause, any financial information and
relative documentation to support it;
b. require verification of statements issued by the competent
authorities according to n. 9;
c. check that during the Roman phase the fees and
every relative expenditure adhere to what has been established by this same
Congregation.
13. The Administrator is obligated to diligently adhere to
all the norms issued by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints regarding the
administrative-financial activity of a Cause.
14. In the event of shortcomings or abuses of an
administrative-financial nature by those responsible for the process of the
Cause, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints intervenes with disciplinary
measures.(5)
IV. Petitioner’s contribution to the Apostolic See
15. For the Roman phase, the Petitioner is required to make a
contribution established by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and,
communicated through the Postulator, to be paid in installments at various times
as specified in nn. 16 and 17. Whenever deemed necessary, further extraordinary
contributions may be requested.
16. Should the martyrdom or heroic virtue or the title of
Doctor be recognized, this contribution is divided into four moments:
a. upon the submission of the diocesan or eparchial Acts of
the Inquiry;
b. upon the request for the appointment of a delegate;
c. upon the submission of the Positio;
d. prior to the particular meeting of theologians.
17. In light of the recognition of an alleged miracle, the
contribution is divided into three moments:
a. upon the submission of the diocesan or eparchial Acts of
the Inquiry;
b. prior to medical consultation;
c. prior to the particular meeting of theologians.
18. Contributions, which do not cover the costs of the
publication of the Positio, must be dispatched by way of wire transfer to
the bank account of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, to whom the
documentation regarding the transaction must also be sent.
19. After the celebration of the Beatification or
Canonization, the Administrator of the fund submits a comprehensive statement of
the goods administered (cf. nn. 8–12).
20. Following the Canonization:
a. the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, in the name of
the Apostolic See, disposes of any surplus funds, adhering to the specific
intentions of the Petitioner and the needs of the Solidarity Fund;
b. Upon the fulfillment of the prescripts of n. 20.a, the
fund of the Cause and the Postulation cease to exist.
V. Solidarity Fund
21. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has established
a Solidarity Fund, consisting of freely-offered contributions from the
Petitioners or any other source, over and above what may result from the
disposition of n. 20.a.
22. In the event of real difficulty in meeting the costs of a
cause in its Roman phase, the Petitioner may request a contribution from the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints through the competent Ordinary. The latter
must verify the economic-financial status of the fund and the impossibility of
providing other subsidies before submitting any such request. The Congregation
for the Causes of Saints will evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis.
VI. Norms Entering into Force
23. The present Norms enter into force ad experimentum
for three years beginning on the date of approval by the competent authority,
and abrogate any and all norms to the contrary.
Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B. Prefect
+ Bishop Marcello Bartolucci Secretary
___________
1 Cf. CIC cann. 1282,
1284–1289, 1299–1310; CCEO cann.
1020 §§ 1–2, 1028–1033, 1043–1054.
2 Cf. CIC cann. 1267 § 3 and
1300; CCEO cann. 1016 and 1044.
3 Cf. CIC can. 1276;
CCEO can. 1022.
4 Inasmuch as these are not subject to the jurisdiction referred to in n. 9.a
and b. For example, entities and organisms directly tied to the Apostolic See,
Episcopal Conferences, etc.
5 Cf. CIC cann. 1377, 1386,
1399; CCEO cann. 1449–1463.
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