Alms and Christian simplicity
Caritas and its Funds
Caritas Internationalis helps 24 million people around the world at any one time and employs a total of one million people, including 600,000 volunteers. Cartias receives funding via the annual contributions of the Member Organisations, and by registration fees for each session of the General Assembly, and by contributions and gifts. Caritas Internationalis, whose original statutes were approved by the Vatican in 1951, is made up of 164 Catholic relief, development and social service agencies working in almost 200 countries. Most of the member agencies are Caritas or relief agencies sponsored by national bishops’ conferences.
About the Church in Austria
After the Second World War the Vatican agreed to finance the Church in Austria through membership dues (Kirchenbeitrag) and to let Catholics sue for divorce in state courts. In 2012 these dues were 1.1% of taxable income for the Catholic Church and 1.5% for the Evangelical (Protestant) Church. Since 1933 the financial clauses of the concordat have been updated six times to increase state contributions. In addition to the concordat privileges, there were other state subsidies to the churches. Hitler wanted to end these, as he was anxious to make the Austrian churches self-supporting to free up funds for war. Thus in 1939 his regime abolished direct state subsidies to the churches, confiscated the “religion funds”(since restored) The state has continued to pay indirect subsidies to the Church, despite longstanding disaffection among Austrian Catholics with the ultra-conservative bishops appointed by the Vatican. Recently state subsidies have even been increased. This came about after 30 percent more members left the Catholic Church in 2009 than the year before. This was attributed by the Church to homophobic remarks by an Austrian bishop. The following year, due to the clerical abuse scandal which broke in 2010, the exodus was 64 percent higher still. However, in 2011, in an apparent attempt to stem the flow, tax exemptions for church membership dues were doubled from €200 to €400. Here the state acted to protect the Church from the financial implications of its own actions. Source: Concordat Watch
Caritas is controlled by Vatican
Vatican decree established new statutes and norms for Caritas Internationals. The decree strengthens the roles Vatican offices and the pope play in working with the charity confederation, including approving new board members and approving its contracts with foreign governments and financial transactions. Catholic News Service The general assembly of Caritas Internationalis in late May 2012 is shaping up as a defining moment for the confederation of 165 national Catholic charities, at a time when the Vatican is insisting on greater control over Caritas operations. Then new statutes for the organization, prepared by a working team of the Holy See and Caritas internationals, will be reviewed – statutes that, according to Caritas officials, would require them to consult with the Holy See before making certain decisions and would acknowledge the Holy See’s authority over Caritas’ financial and personnel issues. The changes have not come without tension, but Vatican sources said that in recent talks with top officials of Caritas internationals the atmosphere has vastly improved. They emphasized that the Vatican remains very supportive of Caritas and appreciates the key role it plays in promoting the church’s social teaching and helping those in need. Catholic Review Bishops must exercise closer supervision over Catholic charities and ensure that their activities do not contradict church doctrine. The rules require, among other things, that personnel “share, or at least respect, the Catholic identity” of the organizations and that they give “an example of Christian life.” Bishops must also make sure that salaries in Catholic charities are set at levels consistent with the “Christian simplicity of life.” (!-GT) Religion
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