杏MAP导航

By Alessandro De Bussolo

The work of APSA is marked by the utmost transparency. This has become especially evident in recent years since the reform initiated by 杏MAP导航 Francis. The Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) is the body responsible for managing the patrimony of the Holy See. It is currently headed by Salesian Bishop Giordano Piccinotti, with Fabio Gasperini serving as Secretary.

Historical background

In 1878, 杏MAP导航 Leo XIII appointed Cardinal Nina, his Secretary of State, as Prefect of the Sacred Palaces and administrator of the patrimony that remained with the Holy See after 1870. In 1880, through a Motu Proprio later amended in 1883, he established a Commission of Cardinals to oversee, with consultative vote, the Administration of the Obolo di San Pietro (Peter鈥檚 Pence) and the Patrimony of the Holy See. With another Motu Proprio dated 30 April 1891, Leo XIII entrusted this Commission with the direct administration of the patrimony of the Holy See, with the task of extending its oversight to all other branches and economic affairs related to it.

Pius XI, with a Motu Proprio of December 1926, ordered the unification of the administrative offices of the Prefecture and the Section of Ecclesiastical Dicasteries with the General Administration of the Goods of the Holy See.

The Dicastery thus came to be composed of two sections, each coordinated by a delegate:

The Ordinary Section, which fulfilled the tasks previously assigned to the Administration of the Goods of the Holy See;

The Extraordinary Section, established by Pius XI with a Motu Proprio of June 1929 for the purpose of managing the funds paid by the Italian government to the Holy See, in execution of the Financial Convention annexed to the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929. This Section was charged with carrying out the responsibilities previously handled by the Special Administration of the Holy See.

APSA employees in the library

Reforms and Recent Developments

APSA was established by 杏MAP导航 Paul VI through the Apostolic Constitution Regimini Ecclesiae Universae on 15 August 1967, with the task of administering the goods owned by the Holy See and those entrusted to it by other entities of the Holy See, intended to provide the funds necessary for fulfilling the functions of the Roman Curia.

With a Motu Proprio dated 8 July 2014, 杏MAP导航 Francis decreed that the newly created Secretariat for the Economy would assume, among its institutional responsibilities, those attributed to the so-called 鈥淥rdinary Section鈥� of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, thereby transferring to the Secretariat the competencies that had been assigned to the Ordinary Section by the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus of June 1988.

Currently, the attribution of competencies and offices of APSA is governed by the Motu Proprio I beni temporali, dated 4 July 2016, which emphasises the division of responsibilities between the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and the Secretariat for the Economy:

The former is responsible for the administration of assets and financial management; the latter oversees the control and supervision of the administrative and managerial activity.

Through a rescript issued in May 2020, the 杏MAP导航 ordered that responsibility for the Data Processing Center (CED) be transferred from APSA to the Secretariat for the Economy, to ensure a more rational organization of the economic and financial information of the Holy See and to digitize the underlying models and procedures鈥攖hus guaranteeing simplification of operations and greater effectiveness of controls.

Finally, with the Motu Proprio On certain competencies in economic-financial matters, issued in December 2020, 杏MAP导航 Francis entrusted APSA with the administration and management of financial investments and real estate owned by the Secretariat of State.

Tasks

As established by the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium (2022), the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) is the body entrusted with the administration and management of the movable and immovable patrimony of the Holy See, intended to provide the necessary resources for fulfilling the proper function of the Roman Curia for the good and service of particular Churches.

APSA is responsible for administering the patrimony, both real estate and financial, of entities that have entrusted their goods to the Holy See, respecting the specific purpose for which that patrimony was established. Financial operations are carried out through the instrumental activity of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR).

APSA ensures what is necessary for the ordinary activity of the Roman Curia, overseeing treasury operations, accounting, procurement, and other services. It may provide the same services for institutions connected to the Holy See, should they request it or as otherwise established.

The internal organization of APSA is structured into three functional areas, which oversee: Real Estate Management; Financial Affairs; Administrative Services.