-     Criteria

40.      When one wishes to formulate a good financial management policy in a Religious Institute one meets with a variety of intersecting criteria. There are criteria that can lead to excellent management in human and religious terms, but that can also cause tension and even conflict. These criteria include those that are evangelical, humanitarian, social, professional, technical and those that are proper to the institution in question. We would like to present some ways in which these criteria can be applied in order to determine the needs to be met, the resources available and the asset management policies to be implemented.

41.      It goes without saying that the assets of a Religious Institute must cover the needs of the working religious, but they must also cover those undergoing formation, those who have retired or who are ill, the institutional mission of the congregation and action in favour of solidarity. It must be stressed that the economy as a whole must be primarily at the service and a function of the people. Without doubt, investment in promoting the cultural, psychological, physical and spiritual development of people must be put before investment in material structures.

42.      We must encourage the attitude of sharing our assets; formerly we earned money to save or to accumulate or to reinvest, especially in our works; now we do it to live as religious, to let ourselves be guided by the principle of giving and sharing. Once poverty meant austerity, whereas now it means solidarity; poverty has different faces but there is no doubt that one of these, which is very important at the moment, is solidarity. The work of the treasurer used to be aimed at helping a community to live austerely, which in itself is not an insignificant task; now he must help it to live in solidarity and his ministry must aim to create groups of generous religious who share fraternally, giving what they can and requesting what they need.

In sharing, some religious keep only the things that are appropriate and give away the rest; others keep only what is necessary and give away even the things that might be appropriate [for them to keep]; still others keep only what is indispensable and go as far as giving away even the necessities. It is very important to be clear about allocating what we have to give. That is why it is indispensable to list the destinations to which we give our assets. The Documents of the Church (CIC 1254) and the Documents of the various Congregations will assist in setting out these destinations.

43.      We must be specific about how financial resources reach a Religious Institute. Obviously, it is appropriate to weigh up the different sources from which they come and the need to make use of them, provided always that the gains made are used for the mission. This is a very important element in establishing the economic policies of a Congregation, both in relation to the size of the resources available and their allocation.

44.      As regards the economic policy to pursue, we must pay attention to the people involved in that policy and above all in its management. Where those involved with management are concerned, it must be remembered that they should consider themselves simply administrators and true religious. In the religious life no one owns the assets he manages. Nothing we manage or donate is ours! Though it be at different levels, everything we do is done in the name of the Religious Institute. It is clear that the Councils must take decisions regarding assets and it is only the implementation of these decisions for which an individual is responsible.

45.      In order to properly identify our assets, it is important to rely on the Council and on assistance from laymen who specialise in this field. Financial administration and asset management require specialist technical knowledge if they are to succeed. Financial management is something that requires team work and the team cannot do without the aid of technical and professional consultants.

46.      If we are to remain faithful to the variety of criteria already indicated we must also take account of those that follow. It is very important that the financial decisions we make are not based on criteria that belong to a neo-liberal economy and that easily insinuate themselves into the religious life.

47.      The objectives of our action in the economy must bring about a reduction of poverty and change the political and economic structures that give rise to the tough world economic situation in which we find ourselves. Therefore the way we, as religious, act in relation to possessions must demonstrate perception and foresight. It is important to aim for the “globalisation of solidarity” and, in so doing, offer the main elements of an alternative kind of globalisation. The effect of our financial decisions on people and structures must begin “at home”, with ourselves and our congregations, extending outwards to work in and produce an effect on the environment and the situations that surround us. It is an ambitious target but something can be done, or at least a sign can be given.

48.      We must search the social dimension of our religious charisms for factors important to our economic decisions. Our charisms always show clearly that social commitment represents the visible portion of a profound spirituality. That is why it would be appropriate, to say the least, to increase the human and religious resources we invest in our social works.

49.      To conclude this chapter, we must remember that the Gospels oblige us to ensure that what we have serves to create and strengthen communion, to live in dependence on the Father, not to be materialistic but to be prudent in the use we make of our possessions. Furthermore, the Gospels plainly invite us to be generous with what we have and to be generous in sharing without measure. In a word, we must use the Gospels as the starting point if profound spirituality is to be our motivation in managing and utilising our assets. The Gospels provide us with the criteria for the administration of assets; nor must we forget that good management must aim at improving income and at producing organised and transparent administration.