The following are some highlights from Pope Benedict XVI's
recent motu proprio on Charity ("De Caritas ministranda"). The motu proprio
is dated November 11, 2012 and takes effect on December 10, 2012.
Please Note: Paragraphs below may be combined and emphasis
may be added. Reference numbers may be omitted.
* "In view of this, with the present Motu Proprio I intend to provide an
organic legislative framework for the better overall ordering of the various
organized ecclesial forms of the service of charity, which are closely
related to the diaconal nature of the Church and the episcopal ministry.
It is important, however, to keep in mind that 'practical activity will
always be insufficient, unless it visibly expresses a love for man, a love
nourished by an encounter with Christ'. In carrying out their
charitable activity, therefore, the various Catholic organizations should
not limit themselves merely to collecting and distributing funds, but should
show special concern for individuals in need and exercise a valuable
educational function within the Christian community, helping people to
appreciate the importance of sharing, respect and love in the spirit of the
Gospel of Christ. The Church’s charitable activity at all levels
must avoid the risk of becoming just another form of organized social
assistance."
* "The Church as an institution is not extraneous to those organized
initiatives which represent a free expression of the concern of the baptized
for individuals and peoples in need. The Church’s Pastors should always
welcome these initiatives as a sign of the sharing of all the faithful in
the mission of the Church; they should respect the specific characteristics
and administrative autonomy which these initiatives enjoy, in accordance
with their nature, as a manifestation of the freedom of the baptized.
Alongside these, the Church’s authority has, on its own initiative, promoted
specific agencies which provide institutionally for allocating donations
made by the faithful, following suitable legal and administrative methods
which allow for a more effective response to concrete needs.
Nevertheless, to the extent that such activities are promoted by the
Hierarchy itself, or are explicitly supported by the authority of the
Church’s Pastors, there is a need to ensure that they are managed in
conformity with the demands of the Church’s teaching and the intentions of
the faithful, and that they likewise respect the legitimate norms laid down
by civil authorities."
* "The faithful have the right to join in associations and to establish
agencies to carry out specific charitable services, especially on behalf of
the poor and suffering. To the extent that these are linked to the
charitable service of the Church’s Pastors and/or intend to use for this
purpose contributions made by the faithful, they must submit their own
Statutes for the approval of the competent ecclesiastical authority and
comply with the [indicated] norms."
* "In addition to observing the canonical legislation, the
collective charitable initiatives to which this Motu Proprio refers are
required to follow Catholic principles in their activity and they may not
accept commitments which could in any way affect the observance of those
principles."
* "It is the responsibility of the diocesan Bishop to ensure that in the
activities and management of these agencies the norms of the Church’s
universal and particular law are respected, as well as the intentions of the
faithful who made donations or bequests for these specific purposes (cf.
canons 1300 CIC and 1044 CCEO)."
* "It is the responsibility of the diocesan Bishop, as indicated by canons
394 § 1 CIC and 203 § 1 CCEO, to coordinate within his territory the
different works of charitable service, both those promoted by the Hierarchy
itself and those arising from initiatives of the faithful, without prejudice
to their proper autonomy in accordance with their respective Statutes.
In particular, he is to take care that their activities keep alive the
spirit of the Gospel."
* "The agencies referred to in Article 1 § 1 are required to select
their personnel from among persons who share, or at least respect, the
Catholic identity of these works."
* "To ensure an evangelical witness in the service of charity, the
diocesan Bishop is to take care that those who work in the Church’s
charitable apostolate, along with due professional competence, give an
example of Christian life and witness to a formation of heart which
testifies to a faith working through charity. To this end, he is
also to provide for their theological and pastoral formation, through
specific curricula agreed upon by the officers of various agencies and
through suitable aids to the spiritual life."
* "It is the duty of the diocesan Bishop and the respective parish
priests to see that in this area the faithful are not led into error or
misunderstanding; hence they are to prevent publicity being given through
parish or diocesan structures to initiatives which, while presenting
themselves as charitable, propose choices or methods at odds with the
Church’s teaching."
* "It is the responsibility of the Bishop to supervise the ecclesiastical
goods of the charitable agencies subject to his authority."
* "It is the duty of the diocesan Bishop to ensure that the proceeds of
collections made in accordance with canons 1265 and 1266 CIC and canons 1014
and 1015 CCEO are used for their stated purposes [cf. canons 1267 CIC, 1016
CCEO]."
* "In particular, the diocesan Bishop is to ensure that charitable
agencies dependent upon him do not receive financial support from groups or
institutions that pursue ends contrary to Church’s teaching. Similarly, lest
scandal be given to the faithful, the diocesan Bishop is to ensure that
these charitable agencies do not accept contributions for initiatives whose
ends, or the means used to pursue them, are not in conformity with the
Church’s teaching."
* "In a particular way, the Bishop is to see that the management of
initiatives dependent on him offers a testimony of Christian simplicity of
life. To this end, he will ensure that salaries and operational expenses,
while respecting the demands of justice and a necessary level of
professionalism, are in due proportion to analogous expenses of his diocesan
Curia."
* "The diocesan Bishop is obliged, if necessary, to make known to
the faithful the fact that the activity of a particular charitable agency is
no longer being carried out in conformity with the Church’s teaching, and
then to prohibit that agency from using the name 'Catholic' and to take the
necessary measures should personal responsibilities emerge."
* "The local ecclesiastical authority retains the full right to give
permission for initiatives undertaken by Catholic agencies in areas of his
jurisdiction, with due respect for canonical norms and the specific identity
of the individual agencies. It is also the duty of the Bishop to
ensure that the activities carried out in his Diocese are conducted in
conformity with ecclesiastical discipline, either prohibiting them or
adopting any measures needed in cases where that discipline is not respected."
[12/6/12]
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