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A
Practical Financial Transparency Policy
for any Catholic Diocese in the UK
Rationale: respecting courtesy, common sense,
Canon Law and synodality now
This two-page PDF in October 2023 is something
of a 2-minute required read for all bishops,
their finance and other councils, Trustees, and
synodal and curial teams.
A public policy such as this could help to make
sure that Dioceses are seen to be as open as
possible today with all areas of finance –
appreciating all those parishioners and others
whose offering make their work possible.
The first page sets out the rationale for a
general policy of transparency in a range of
diocesan and parish settings.
Financial transparency matters. It does so
because being open about things is a key element
of trust and integrity. It’s a sign of courtesy
and appreciation. It’s also common sense: people
give more if they’re more informed. It’s an
expression of applied synodality. And Canon Law
has obligations very much on the side of
transparency as part of good stewardship.
The second page shows how a policy might be
applied - making fuller use of existing diocesan
and parish websites.
The obligations will be familiar and widely
practiced at least in part; and meant to be
straightforward, not particularly onerous, and
purposeful. The policy has
suggestions about the priest's annual
finance report to the parish, finance committee
minutes, and getting the blessing of
parishioners for the concept.
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Project
Summary & Suggestions
October 2022
with
covering letter
was
sent to all
UK bishops in October 2022. (An
initial report on the outcome is
in the June 2023 Brief below.)
The Summary contains key
information on the Project
methodology, sources, findings and
simple suggestions for bishops and
others.
To make it a cheery as well as
useful read, the pages are
packed with quotes from voices
encountered on the way. They
offer information, surprises,
more than a few laughs, and lots
of food for thought.
Project Summary &
Suggestions November 2022
is the above
document updated to include Transparency
as an essential from #79 in the
Vatican's October 2022 Document for
the Continental Stage.
For a short, sharper version in
June 2023, see below
Vatican: we have a
§2
problem
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Vatican: we have a
§2
problem
This is an updated brief
version of the Summary & Suggestions with the
Rome Synod in mind, sent to a member of the
working party that prepared the Instrumentum
Laboris and Document for the Continental Stage.
As you might sense, it's a
more sharper update - referencing The Mother of
All Errors and other takes on the observance of
Canon Law 1287
§2.
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Birmingham UK v Birmingham USA
This 2-page PDF in September 2023 shows that "the Catholic Church
is universal, but some parts are more universal
than others." It's another eyebrow-raising read.
It compares and contrasts the diocesan financial
procedures of two dioceses, and how they handle
Canon 1287 §2. Not that it seems to matter.
Surveying their parish websites shows little
sign of observance of this requirement for
transparency.
In the case of Birmingham UK, the 2008
Procedures were found in 2017 on the website of
its Coventry Deanery, but are not on the current
(September 2023) archdiocesan website. So
whether they still apply is unknown. They are
clear in the duty of the parish priest, and give
diocesan Trustees the duty of ensuring that
annual reports are made to parishioners.
With Birmingham in Alabama USA, the current
guidelines on their website say nothing on c1287
§2, and shift the duty of reporting on to the
Finance Council - who may or may not pass it on
to parishioners. This is at odds with the good
practices guidance by the US Catholic Bishops'
Conference.
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Helping Synodality Live in
Liverpool
This package
was created in early 2023 in
response to a request from the
Archdiocese for help with their
diocesan plan, and has five
practical suggestions.
Acclaim Our
Everyday Saints
Applying synodality by applauding the inspirers,
encouragers, uplifters suggested by our young
people
Open up Canon 1287 §2 Applying
synodality by updating structures in parish
financial transparency to ensure the
parishioners right to be kept informed
Cherish our peoples’ stories
Applying synodality by priests & parishioners to
make history together with Parish Yearly
Notebooks
Reach out & stand up with FairTrade
Applying synodality with a ready-made
recognition of social justice
Harvest our families of languages
Applying synodality as parishes showcase the
Lord’s Prayer - the one they have in common
with other churches around
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Witnesses Statement
This PDF set of suggestions
was sent
in late 2022 to Portsmouth Diocese as a
contribution to the feedback on
the draft of the 10-year Plan
called You Will Be My Witnesses.
Other Feedback from parishes is
seen and analysed at
Feedback on the Ten-Year Mission Strategy -
Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth
The Feedback noted that:
"Certain themes recurred across the feedback,
for example lay leadership, a call for
transparency and better communication..."
But the Final Plan in late
2023 does not
include any mention of transparency - as you can
check at
Ten Year Plan - Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth
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A Priest's Appreciation of his Parish - 10 years
on!
Parish websites rarely show any annual or other
review by the parish priest, his appointed
finance or optional pastoral committee or
groups. Yet they can form part of the
easy-access archive for present, past or future
parishioners, visitors or others. A personal
eye-view can be valuable – especially when it’s
prepared for the laity rather than a bishop.
The review in this document came by e-mail to
Hugh Gibbons. Spontaneously, the priest sent his
appreciation as a gift in case it might help
with another project.
NB1 It’s biased to the happy side of things:
listing strengths but not opportunities for
improvement. But it does reflect what
parishioners might welcome knowing, and be a
reminder that a priest is only one transient
part of the parish history. The benefits would
be a courtesy for present and past parishioners,
a help for an incoming priest, and a gift to
help make parishioners feel good about
themselves, their parish, and the Church.
NB2 The reference to the effort to respect
everyone within the community, not least in
relation to communication and transparent
decision making – topics which are seen as signs
of authentic synodalism in 2022 parish reports,
diocesan and national syntheses, and Vatican
Synod documents.
NB3 Short reviews like this should not a major
burden, with help from informed parishioners.
They might be a valuable perspective one year
after the priest’s arrival, and on leaving the
parish.
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