Pope Leo XIV has suppressed the Commission for Donations to the Holy See. The Commission was originally established by Pope Francis in February 2025. The suppression was decided after consultations with the Council for the Economy and other experts. The chirograph, a papal decree, was signed on September 29th and released on December 4th.
11 days ago
Pope Francis established the Commission for Donations to the Holy See on February 11, 2025, via a chirograph, with statutes approved experimentally for three years.1 The body aimed to promote donations from the faithful, episcopal conferences, and benefactors to support the Holy See's mission and charitable works.2 It was publicly announced on February 26, 2025, while Francis was hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli Policlinic with double pneumonia.6
The commission's creation responded to the Vatican's economic challenges, focusing on targeted fundraising campaigns for curial institutions and Vatican City State projects.3 However, its announcement during Francis's illness raised questions about the process, as it occurred amid visits from Secretariat of State officials.6
On December 4, 2025, the Vatican released a chirograph signed by Pope Leo XIV on September 29, 2025, titled Vinculum Unitatis et Caritatis, suppressing the commission.3 Leo cited consultations with the Council for the Economy and experts, approving their recommendations to reshape Holy See fundraising structures under Praedicate Evangelium.1
The decree immediately dismissed all members, repealed the commission's statutes and prior acts, and transferred its assets to the Holy See.4 Liquidation was delegated to Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA).2 The Secretariat for the Economy, with a designated working group, will handle dissolution issues while reporting to the Council.1
The commission comprised five Italians: Msgr. Roberto Campisi (president and Secretariat of State assessor for general affairs), Archbishop Flavio Pace (Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity secretary), Sr. Alessandra Smerilli (Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development secretary), Sr. Silvana Piro (APSA undersecretary), and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi (Vatican City State Governorate deputy secretary-general).2
Critics noted the lack of professional fundraisers and absence of international members, particularly from the U.S., the Vatican's largest donor.6 Campisi's recent appointment as Holy See observer to UNESCO was seen as unusually low-profile for his prior role.2 The all-Italian lineup tied to the Secretariat of State, previously sanctioned for a London property scandal, fueled skepticism about its credibility.6
Leo ordered a new working group to propose fundraising strategies and an appropriate institutional framework.3 The Council for the Economy will nominate members, submitting them via the Secretariat of State for papal approval.1 This group aims to address donations as a key bond of unity between particular churches and the Apostolic See.4
The measure takes effect immediately upon publication in L’Osservatore Romano, emphasizing periodic reevaluation of financial norms.5 Observers view this as a fresh start to enhance transparency and efficiency.6
The suppression marks another reversal of Francis-era decisions under Leo, who has prioritized financial accountability since his May 2025 election.2 Recent actions include revoking a 2022 rescript centralizing curial assets under APSA and overturning the 2024 abolition of Rome's diocesan central sector.2
On November 26, 2025, Leo placed St. Peter's and St. Mary Major basilicas under Council for the Economy oversight, stressing ongoing reform needs.3 A November financial report showed halved deficits and rising income, though employee groups questioned its sustainability due to one-time gains.2 Leo's math background and American perspective signal expectations for greater donor confidence.6
1: Article 1
2: Article 2
3: Article 3
4: Article 4
5: Article 5
6: Article 6
Assess the Catholic Church’s canonical norms governing fundraising commissions
The Catholic Church's canonical norms governing fundraising commissions emphasize the sacred nature of almsgiving as an expression of charity and communion within the ecclesial body. These norms, rooted in the Code of Canon Law (CIC) and reinforced by papal documents, ensure that fundraising activities align with the Church's mission, respect donor intentions, maintain transparency, and prevent abuse. Key principles include the promotion of voluntary contributions for apostolic works and the poor, oversight by ecclesiastical authorities, and accountability to safeguard the faithful's trust. This assessment draws from foundational texts like the 1983 CIC, Pope Benedict XVI's 2012 Intima Ecclesiae Natura, and Pope Francis's 2025 Chirograph instituting the Commissio de donationibus pro Sancta Sede, highlighting a structured approach to fundraising that balances autonomy with governance.
The Church's approach to fundraising commissions stems from its understanding of temporal goods as instruments for divine worship, clergy support, apostolic works, and charity, particularly for the poor. Canon law prohibits unauthorized begging for ecclesiastical purposes, requiring written permission from the local ordinary and, where applicable, the conference of bishops. This norm underscores that fundraising is not a private initiative but a regulated ecclesial activity, preventing exploitation and ensuring alignment with canonical discipline.
A pivotal development occurred with Intima Ecclesiae Natura (2012), which affirms the faithful's right to form associations and agencies for charitable services, including fundraising, but mandates submission of statutes for approval by competent ecclesiastical authority. These initiatives must adhere to Catholic principles, avoiding commitments that compromise doctrinal fidelity, and respect the administrative autonomy of the baptized while integrating into the Church's pastoral mission. The document emphasizes that the Church's hierarchy promotes institutional agencies for allocating donations efficiently, yet insists on management conforming to Church teaching, donor intentions, and civil norms. This framework applies to commissions whether initiated by the hierarchy or the laity, with bishops holding authority for coordination and oversight, ensuring justice and responsibility toward the faithful.
In this context, fundraising commissions serve as extensions of the Church's charitable service, fostering unity by channeling resources to the Holy See and universal needs. The 2025 Chirograph by Pope Francis explicitly institutes the Commissio de donationibus pro Sancta Sede as a permanent body to incentivize donations through campaigns targeting the faithful, episcopal conferences, and benefactors, while highlighting their role in the Pope's mission and charitable works. This commission coordinates existing fundraising methods, such as contributions under canon 1271 or the Peter's Pence (Obolo di San Pietro), without overriding their distinct purposes. Responding directly to the Roman Pontiff, it respects the autonomy of Curia institutions and Vatican governance, always honoring donor wills. These norms reflect a post-Vatican II evolution, adapting curial structures to contemporary economic realities while preserving canonical essentials.
Fundraising commissions operate under defined competencies to ensure effective and ethical resource allocation. The Commissio de donationibus focuses on promoting donations for specific projects proposed by Curia institutions or Vatican entities, maintaining their independence per existing norms. It functions experimentally for three years under an approved statute, demonstrating a prudential approach to institutional innovation.
Broader canonical support comes from the CIC, which authorizes local ordinaries to order special collections in churches and oratories for parochial, diocesan, national, or universal projects, with proceeds remitted to the diocesan curia. This provision enables commissions to facilitate such collections systematically, tying grassroots efforts to higher ecclesial goals.
Within the reformed Roman Curia, the Dicastery for the Service of Charity—established under Praedicate Evangelium (2022)—holds explicit competence to receive, seek, and request voluntary donations for the Roman Pontiff's charitable works aiding the needy. The Almoner of His Holiness complements this by granting apostolic blessings, linking fundraising to spiritual graces. Praedicate Evangelium integrates fundraising into the Curia's missionary orientation, reducing dicasteries to avoid overlaps and enhancing efficiency in evangelization support, including financial aid to particular Churches. This reform, building on prior motu proprio like Fidelis Dispensator et Prudens (2014), transfers economic oversight to bodies like the Secretariat for the Economy, ensuring fundraising aligns with transparent financial management.
For commissions involving associations, canon 319 requires annual accounting to ecclesiastical authority for goods administration and expenditure of offerings. This promotes fiscal responsibility, preventing misuse and fostering trust.
Canonical norms rigorously guard against corruption in fundraising. Canon 1377 imposes penalties—up to deprivation of office—for soliciting or accepting bribes to influence Church functions or demanding excessive offerings beyond established norms. Offenders must repair harm, reinforcing that commissions must operate with integrity, viewing donations as acts of piety rather than transactions.
Intima Ecclesiae Natura extends these protections to charitable agencies, requiring compliance with CIC canons 1303 (pious foundations) and episcopal oversight for reductions or modifications of wills, now centralized under the Apostolic See for non-local cases. Foundations funding charitable initiatives must observe these rules proportionally, prioritizing the founder's intent.
Recent reforms clarify economic competencies to avoid conflicts, such as limiting the Secretariat of State's role in finances and delineating responsibilities among the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and the Secretariat for the Economy. The Council for the Economy supervises curial financial activities ethically, per international best practices and social doctrine. Value thresholds for approvals (e.g., acts exceeding 2% of an entity's average costs or €150,000) ensure proportionate oversight without stifling operations.
These safeguards address controversies like financial scandals by emphasizing separation of powers, regular reporting (e.g., via ad limina visits), and lay involvement in governance, as per Praedicate Evangelium. Where sources evolve—such as the 2022 CIC amendments on pious causes—more recent papal interventions take precedence, harmonizing local and universal norms.
The Catholic Church's canonical norms for fundraising commissions form a cohesive system that upholds charity as a core evangelical imperative while mandating rigorous oversight. From the foundational rights in Intima Ecclesiae Natura to the innovative Commissio de donationibus and curial reforms in Praedicate Evangelium, these guidelines ensure donations fuel the Church's mission ethically and transparently. By respecting donor freedom, enforcing accountability, and integrating fundraising into synodal communion, the Church models stewardship of temporal goods for spiritual ends. This framework not only prevents abuse but invites the faithful to participate generously in building the Kingdom, confident in the hierarchy's vigilant care.