The following is the Letter sent by the Holy Father Francis to the College of Cardinals:

Letter of the Holy Father

To the Venerable Brothers of the College of Cardinals

Dear Brothers,

Ten years ago we began the reform of the Roman Curia and, through the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, we established the new organization of the Holy See, specifying its guiding principles and aims. Ecclesia semper reformanda: this was the spirit that inspired the reform, in order to ensure that the Roman Curia assists the Successor of Peter in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office for the good and service of the universal Church and the particular Churches.

If this updating represents a witness of vitality and grace, we know the dedication and labours of the women and men committed to adapting to this movement of renewal. It has fallen to you, brother Cardinals, in your function of assisting the Roman Pontiff in the governance of the universal Church, to accompany all those involved in this process of transformation.

Despite the difficulties and, at times, that temptation to immobility and inflexibility in the face of change, many results have been accomplished in these years. I thank you for the help you have given and continue to give. With these premises, I would now like in a special way to address once again one of the themes that most characterized the General Congregations before the Conclave: the economic reform of the Holy See. The years that have passed have shown that the requests for reform urged in the past by so many members of the College of Cardinals have been far-sighted and have led to a greater awareness of the fact that the economic resources at the service of the mission are limited and must be managed with rigour and seriousness so that the efforts of those who have contributed to the patrimony of the Holy See are not wasted.

For these reasons, an extra effort is now required from everyone so that a “zero deficit” is not just a theoretical goal, but an actually achievable objective. The reform has laid the foundations for the implementation of ethical policies to improve the economic performance of existing assets. Accompanying this is the need for each institution to strive to find external resources for its mission, setting an example of transparent and responsible management in the service of the Church.

With regard to the reduction of costs, we need to set a concrete example so that our service is carried out in a spirit of essentiality, avoiding the superfluous and selecting our priorities well, favouring mutual collaboration and synergies. We must be aware that today we are faced with strategic decisions to be taken with great responsibility, because we are called upon to guarantee the future of the Mission.

The Institutions of the Holy See have much to learn from the solidarity of good families. Just as, in these families, those who enjoy a good economic situation come to the aid of the members who are most in need, the Bodies with a surplus should contribute to covering the general deficit. This means taking care of the good of our communities, acting with generosity, in the Gospel sense of the word, as an indispensable precondition for asking for generosity from outside as well.

In conclusion, I ask you to welcome this message with courage, a spirit of service, and to support the ongoing reforms with conviction, loyalty and generosity, contributing actively with your knowledge and experience of the reform process. Each one of the Institutions of the Holy See forms with all the others a single body: therefore, authentic collaboration and cooperation towards the sole objective, the good of the Church, represents an essential prerequisite of our service.

With this spirit and this awareness, I ask you to accompany our work with fidelity and confidence.

From the Vatican, 16 September 2024

FRANCIS