VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Vatican's 2006 budget closed with a surplus of more than $3.2 million, but the biggest surprise in the year's financial report was a huge jump in donations to Peter's Pence, the collection given directly to the pope for charitable and other activities of his choice.
The international Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organizational and Economic Problems of the Holy See met July 2 at the Vatican. A July 3 statement on the cardinals' meeting said the 2006 donations to Peter's Pence totaled almost $102 million, an increase of more than $42.4 million over 2005.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the figure was correct and would be explained July 6 when the Vatican presented a fuller version of its budget figures to the press.
The July 3 statement contained only the bottom-line figures for the budgets of the Holy See and of Vatican City State as well as for donations to Peter's Pence and from dioceses to offset Vatican operational costs.
In addition to the large rise in donations to Peter's Pence, a significant increase came in the amount of money dioceses send to the Vatican to assist with the cost of running the central church agencies. In 2006, the diocesan donations added up to more than $32.7 million, an increase of $5.9 million over 2005.
The July 3 statement said the Vatican budget – technically the budget of the Holy See, including the offices of the Roman Curia and the nunciatures around the world – showed expenses of almost $307 million and income of just over $310 million.
The statement said 2,704 people, including 773 bishops and priests, 331 members of religious orders and 1,600 laypeople, are employed in the Holy See offices.
The budget of Vatican City State, which includes the Vatican Museums and the Vatican's stamp and coin office, ended 2006 with a surplus of $29.7 million, the statement said.
Vatican City State employs 1,693 people, it said.
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