The bond of unity and charity (vinculum unitatis et caritatis) between the particular Churches and the universal Church characterizes the Church of Christ in all areas of her evangelising activity. By reason of this bond, the particular Churches contribute to procuring the necessary means so that the Apostolic See, as the guarantor of unity, can properly provide its service to the universal Church.

In order to promote the service of the Apostolic See and in view of the current economic situation, after consulting the competent bodies,

I establish

the Commissio de donationibus pro Sancta Sede, a permanent commission dedicated to the collection of donations and offerings for the Apostolic See, whose specific task will be to encourage donations with special campaigns among the faithful, the Episcopal Conferences and other potential benefactors emphasising their importance for the mission and for the charitable works of the Apostolic See, as well as raising funds from willing donors for specific projects presented by the Institutions of the Roman Curia and the Governorate of Vatican City State, without prejudice to the autonomy and competencies of each Institution, in accordance with the regulations in force.

This commission shall be governed by its own Statutes, which I approve ad experimentum for three years.

All that is established by this Chirograph shall be in full and stable force, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, even if worthy of special mention.

Given in Rome, at St. Saint Peter’s, 11 February 2025, the twelfth of the my Pontificate

FRANCIS

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STATUTES

Art. 1

Nature and purpose

§ 1. The Commissio de donationibus pro Sancta Sede (Commission) assists the Roman Pontiff by

a)   encouraging donations with special campaigns among the faithful, Episcopal Conferences and potential benefactors, stressing their importance for the Mission and the charitable works of the Holy Father;

b)   securing financing from willing donors for specific projects presented by the Institutions of the Roman Curia and the Governorate of Vatican City State, without prejudice to the autonomy and competencies of each Institution, in accordance with the regulations in force, and respecting the will of the donor in all cases.

§ 2. In fulfilling these functions, the Commission also acts as an instrument of coordination of other modes of fundraising, whether institutionalised or not, such as contributions under canon 1271 or Peter’s Pence, while respecting the nature and purpose of the individual Institutes.

§ 3. The Commission is directly accountable to the Roman Pontiff.

Art. 2

Composition

§ 1. The Commission may consist of a maximum of six members.

§ 2. The President, ecclesiastic or religious, coordinates and directs the activity of the Commission, and is appointed by the Roman Pontiff ad quinquennium.

§ 3. The other members, selected from among the Secretaries and Under-Secretaries of the Institutions of the Holy See and of Vatican City State, are appointed by the Roman Pontiff. Their term of office coincides with that of the President.

§ 4. The President appoints and employs an Executive Secretary to support the day-to-day business of the Commission. The Executive Secretary shall not be a member of the Commission, however, he/she shall attend the meetings in an actuarial capacity.

§ 5. The Commission may, if necessary, make use of external collaborators.

§ 6. The Commission shall submit a report every six months on its activities to the Holy Father.

§ 7. The Commission shall make use of the Secretariat for the Economy as it deems necessary and shall send it an annual summary of its initiatives for information purposes.

Art. 3

Convening and operation

§ 1. The Commission shall be convened by the President at least four times a year. The convocation, which may also take place virtually, must be announced at least ten days before the meeting of the Commission, with each member being informed of the Agenda.

§ 2. The Commission's decisions shall be taken by absolute majority. In the event of a tie, the vote of the President is decisive.

§ 3. The archives of the Commission are kept at the Secretariat of State.

Art. 4

Procedure and activities

§ 1. The Commission, within the framework of the activities envisaged in Art. 1, § 1, a), shall determine annually the awareness-raising and fund-raising campaigns to be launched, identify the operational areas and the modalities of implementation and define the planning of all or part of the activities. For this purpose it may assign specific operational tasks to one or more members.

§ 2. The Commission, within the framework of the activities provided for in Art. 1, § 1, b), identifies, defines and evaluates each year the projects intended for the collection of the financial resources necessary for their implementation. It defines the planning of all or part of the activities. For this purpose it may assign specific operational tasks to one or more members.

§ 3. The Commission, when it is called upon to carry out the coordination activity provided for in Article 1, § 2, shall do so in the operational manner provided for in this Article.

§ 4. The Commission shall establish the priorities among the projects and the priorities of the initiatives to be undertaken. In the absence of projects submitted by the Bodies Institutions, it may provide for the collection of ‘reserve’ funds to be used for subsequent purposes.

Art. 5

Costs and budget

§ 1. The Commission shall be endowed with material resources adequate to its functions. To this end, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and the Governorate of the Vatican City State shall provide, pro quota, an initial endowment for a total amount of Euro 300,000.00 (three hundred thousand) for the needs of the Commission, without requesting authorization.

§ 2. The Commission shall annually establish the due contribution pro quota from the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and the Governorate for its functioning, without the need for further authorisation.

§ 3. The Commission, in accordance with the rules of accounting, prepares its budget and submits it directly to the Supreme Pontiff for approval.

§ 4. The Commission, for all its purchases of goods and services, in accordance with the regulations in force, may apply to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See or to the Governorate.

Art. 6

Final Provisions

§ 1. The Commission, within three months of the publication of the present Chirograph, shall issue appropriate implementing regulations.

§ 2. The dissolution of the Commission pertains to the Roman Pontiff.

§ 3. In the event of its dissolution, the goods at the disposal of the Commission shall be destined to the Roman Pontiff.