Vatican agrees to bishops' request on norms for property sales

Published: 2004-04-22

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Vatican has temporarily granted a request by the U.S. bishops to increase the dollar amount of property a diocese can sell or otherwise transfer ownership of without prior Vatican approval. For two years only, archdioceses and dioceses with more than half a million Catholics will be able to transfer ownership of property worth up to $10 million without getting Vatican approval first. For dioceses with 500,000 or fewer Catholics, the limit will be $5 million. The previous limits were $5 million for larger dioceses and $2.5 million for smaller ones. In the church's Code of Canon Law the transfer of ownership of church goods is known as "alienation." Canon 1292 says bishops' conferences are to determine, with Vatican approval, the minimum and maximum limits under which different rules kick in for the alienation of property. The minimum is the amount above which a bishop needs consent from his finance council and college of consultors before disposing of church-owned property. The maximum is the amount above which he needs not only their consent but the consent of the Vatican as well.

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