HOLY SEE HAD NET SURPLUS OF $5 MILLION FOR 1999

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 2000 (VIS) - Archbishop Sergio Sebastiani, president of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, announced this morning at a conference in which he presented the Consolidated Financial Statement of the Holy See, that there was a net surplus of $5,046,000 for the fiscal year 1999. The exchange rate used was 1,927 lire to $1. The 1998 surplus was $1.5 million.

Joining him in the Holy See Press Office for the biannual conference on Holy See finances were Bishop Franco Croci and Ivan Ruggiero, respectively secretary and general accountant of the prefecture. The 1999 statements were published in both Italian and English.
The archbishop explained that a Consolidated Financial Statement "means that there are grouped together in one statement the costs and revenues of the seven administrations of the Holy See: APSA (Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See), the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Apostolic Chamber, Vatican Radio, the Vatican Printing Press/L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Publishing House and the Vatican Television Center."

"It is interesting to note," he said, "that, in comparison with the previous fiscal year, the expenses grew by .... 3.7 percent, and that the growth of revenue was .... 5.8 percent."

He highlighted that Canon 1271 of the Code of Canon Law, which asks dioceses to make financial contributions to the Apostolic See, was enforced after an April 1991 meeting of all the presidents of the episcopal conferences in the world. The income deriving from this provision has increased from 10.398 billion lire ($6.3 million) in 1992 to 41.244 billion lire in 1999.

Archbishop Sebastiani then explained that the Operating Financial Statement of the Holy See is divided into four sectors: Institutional Activities (all Roman Curia offices: (a loss of 44,962 million lire in 1999); Financial Activities (a gain of 86,913 million lire); Real Estate Activities (a gain of 18,741 million lire) and Activities of the Four Institutions Connected with the Holy See (a loss of 39,276 million lire).

The archbishop pointed out that the newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, has a deficit but has increased its presence in Europe and the Mediterranean and now distributes approximately 4 million copies. He added that Vatican Radio has a deficit, but now transmits in 47 languages, has increased its broadcast hours, and has approximately 400 people working for it, representing 63 countries.

The Consolidated Financial Statement," he concluded, "will now be translated into English, French, German and Spanish and a copy will be sent to all the bishops in the world and to the major superiors of Religious Institutes."

According to a communique released this morning along with the financial statement, the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Questions of the Holy See met on June 21 in the Vatican under the presidency of Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano. Also present at the meeting were 11 other cardinals as well as Archbishop Sergio Sebastiani.

The communique announced that Vatican City State, a budget separate from the Holy See, had a surplus of 5.4 billion lire ($2.6 million). It pointed out that expenses incurred in 1999 included building the new entrance to the Vatican Museums, the underground parking lot and work on preserving or restructuring several buildings.

Finally, it was announced that the 1999 Peter's Pence - the offerings of the faithful for the Pontiff's charitable works and for the support of needy churches - amounted to $55,313,587.

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SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI: MASS AND EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION

VATICAN CITY, JUN 22, 2000 (VIS) - At 7 p.m. today, Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic celebration in the square in front of St. John Lateran. Cardinals, archbishops, bishops and all priests present in Rome concelebrated with the Holy Father. The event marked the occasion of the 47th International Eucharistic Congress.

In his homily, John Paul II made reference to the Gospel account of the multiplication of the loaves, saying: "It was a wonderful and prodigious event that constituted the beginning of a long historical process: the ceaseless multiplication, within the Church, of the bread of new life for men and women of all races and cultures. This sacramental ministry is entrusted to the Apostles and their successors. They, faithful to the divine Master's command, never cease to break and distribute the Eucharistic bread from one generation to another. The people of God receive it with devotion. This bread of life, medicine of immortality, has nourished innumerable saints and martyrs."

"We wish to stay with Christ and for this reason, like Peter, we say to Him: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.' Today, with the same conviction as Peter, we kneel before the Sacrament of the altar and renew our profession of faith in the real presence of Christ."

The Holy Father affirmed that this was "the meaning of today's celebration, that the International Eucharistic Congress in the Jubilee Year underlines with particular force. This is also the meaning of the solemn procession that, as it does every year, will soon lead from this square to the Basilica of St. Mary Major."

Following Mass, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic procession that passed along Rome's Via Merulana to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. On the way, 80,000 faithful prayed and sang, accompanying the Blessed Sacrament. A covered vehicle transported the Sacrament in a mostrance, before which the Holy Father prayed, kneeling on a prie-dieu.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Jose Vicente Huertas Vargas of the clergy of the archdiocese of Tunja, Colombia, rector of the "Juan de Castellanos" Institute, as bishop of Garagoa (area 4,400, population 155,000, Catholics 153,000, priests 50, religious 48), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Ramiquiri, Colombia, in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1967.

- Fr. Edwin Angot de la Pena, rector of the seminary of the Mission Society of the Philippines, as prelate of the territorial prelature of Marawi (area 4,568, population 854,963, Catholics 64,000, priests 16, religious 33), the Philippines. The bishop-elect was born in San Juan, the Philippines, in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1981.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Fra Andrew Bertie, prince and grand master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, accompanied by his entourage.
- Cardinal Frederic Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi C.I.C.M., archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Cardinal Angel Suquia Goicoechea, archbishop emeritus of Madrid, Spain.
- Archbishop Patrick Coveney, apostolic nuncio in New Zealand, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, Nauru and Kiribati; Apostolic Delegate to the Pacific Ocean.
- Bishop Jacinto Tomas de Carvalho Botelho of Lamego, Portugal, on his "ad limina" visit.

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