The Church's financial stewardship serves its mission by ensuring that temporal goods are managed wisely, honestly, and transparently, primarily for evangelization and charity 1. This administration is a clear way of proclaiming Jesus' message of liberation to the poor and oppressed 1.

Purpose of Temporal Goods

The temporal goods of the Church are intended to fulfill several aims:

• Divine Worship To support the sacred liturgy and other forms of worship 2.
• Just Compensation of Clergy To provide fair remuneration for priests and other clergy, allowing them to focus on their pastoral mission without temporal distractions 1 2.
• Apostolic Works and Charity To fund apostolic endeavors and charitable activities, especially those serving the poor 2. This includes preaching good news to the poor, proclaiming release to captives, and setting the oppressed at liberty 1.

Principles of Stewardship

The Church emphasizes several key principles in the management of its financial resources:

• Trustworthiness and Impartiality Those entrusted with the Church's goods are called to be trustworthy stewards, administering property that is not their own and is destined for a higher use 1. Bishops, in particular, are urged to set an unquestionable example of impartiality in managing communal resources 3.
• Transparency and Accountability Financial administration should be transparent, not merely as a formal presentation of statistics, but as information due to the community and an opportunity for its formative involvement 4. Transparency is indispensable for the Church's credibility, especially where significant goods are administered 4. This includes the preparation and publication of annual financial reports, ideally externally audited, to demonstrate how temporal goods and financial resources are managed 5 6.
• Evangelizing Zeal and Missionary Spirit The administration of goods is an important area of evangelization and evangelical witness 7. It should be directed primarily to evangelization and charity 1.
• Service to the Poor The administration of the Church's goods must never be sullied by materialism or favoritism, but wisely undertaken in response to the needs of the spiritually or materially poor 3. The faithful steward understands that the Lord alone is the true treasure 1.
• Co-responsibility and Involvement of the Laity The Parish Finance Council plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of co-responsibility and administrative transparency within the Parish community 4. There should be effective involvement of the People of God, especially competent members, in pastoral and financial planning 5.

Practical Application

To ensure proper stewardship, the Church has established various bodies and norms:

• Finance Councils The effective functioning of finance councils is necessary at all levels 5. The Parish Priest should be assisted by collaborators in administering the goods of the Church 7.
• Canonical Norms The management and alienation of Church goods must strictly adhere to relevant canonical norms and current papal legislation 1.
• Oversight Bodies The Holy See pays special attention to the oversight of its patrimony, establishing offices such as the Council for the Economy, the Secretariat for the Economy, and the Office of the Auditor General to clarify competencies and ensure proper coordination 2.
• Virtuous Example Priests are encouraged to offer virtuous examples in their use of money through a sober lifestyle and transparent management of Parish goods. Good administration is measured by the real needs of the faithful, especially the poor and needy, rather than abstract projects 8.

In essence, the Church's financial stewardship is not merely a bureaucratic task but a communication effort that fosters a change in culture, gives visibility to valuable initiatives, and ultimately serves the Church's mission of truth and integral human development by reflecting God's gift to humanity and serving the common good 5 9.