Despite financial stress, many, but not all, U.S. dioceses post audited financial reports

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Nov 13, 2020, 19:34 ET

BOSTON, Nov. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite financial stress from the COVID-19 pandemic and clergy sexual abuse settlements, the number of dioceses posting audited financial reports to their websites rose 5% in the past year, according to Voice of the Faithful's® 2020 study of U.S. Catholic dioceses' online financial transparency.

However, 43 dioceses posted no financial information, and overall, diocesan transparency dropped from 65.11% in 2019 to 64.76% in 2020. Relatively stagnant overall scores resulted, at least in part, from the change of one word in Question #8, "current," referring to lists of Diocesan Finance Council members. Dioceses scoring zero on Question #8 almost doubled from 2019 to 2020, going from 68 to 113 out of 177 dioceses and offsetting major gains in scores overall. According to the study's authors, the importance of the DFC and lay membership cannot be overstated. Lay members "represent the laity of the diocese in ensuring that their donations advance the mission of the Church," VOTF's study says.

VOTF's fourth annual review of all dioceses comprising the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was conducted June 1 through Aug. 31 by three independent reviewers and their report, "Measuring and Ranking Diocesan Online Financial Transparency: 2020 Report," found that:

70% of U.S. dioceses posted audited financial reports on their websites;
U.S. dioceses posting audited financial reports increased from 65% in 2019 to 70% in 2020;
6% of the dioceses provided only unaudited reports, and 24% posted no reports at all;
93% of dioceses now post a central finance page on their websites, making it easier for members of the faithful to find available financial information.

The top five dioceses, which received perfect scores, were Archdioceses of Baltimore, Maryland, Anchorage, Alaska, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Dioceses of Erie, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York. The five lowest scoring dioceses were Camden, New Jersey; Crookston, Minnesota; Lubbock, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

VOTF's review continues emphasizing the importance of financial transparency, especially with continually tightening finances and dioceses' attempts to minimize effects of clergy abuse settlements. VOTF's 2020 report says:

"Every Catholic shares responsibility to ensure funds donated for Church work actually go toward those purposes. Without access to financial reports and information on diocesan finance councils, budgets, and the overall financial health of a diocese, ordinary Catholics cannot exercise their full responsibility of stewardship of the gifts God has given them or verify where their donations go."

VOTF's previous diocesan online financial transparency reports are at http://www.votf.org.

Voice of the Faithful's mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church.

SOURCE Voice of the Faithful