Romana

In this section of Romana we periodically gather financial information corresponding to the previous year. In doing so, we also wish to express our gratitude for the help given by many benefactors who assist in the work of evangelization carried out by Opus Dei. Moreover, we should also remember that the faithful of the Prelature are ordinary Catholics, mostly lay people, who carry out a professional work. They support themselves like any other citizen and, to the extent of their possibilities (after providing for their personal and family support), they assist the financial needs of the Prelature and the apostolic initiatives to which the Prelature offers spiritual guidance: a university, a school, a social initiative, a residence or a center where formative activities are given. The directors of Opus Dei provide information about these initiatives, their needs and how to help out.

It was the explicit wish of the founder of Opus Dei (reflected in number 122 of the Statutes) that the Prelature not take on responsibility for the managerial, technical or financial aspects of these activities, nor that it be the owner of the goods used for the various apostolic activities, but that it limit itself to providing Christian leaven for these initiatives. It is up to the faithful of the Work, in keeping with their secular condition, to assume full responsibility for the apostolic initiatives they organize as citizens. Therefore we need to distinguish the finances of the Prelature of Opus Dei from the independent financial functioning of these apostolic initiatives.

In any case, although in this bulletin the Prelature’s institutional financial information is limited to its central offices in Rome, data from some other regions is also included for illustrative purposes. In addition, information is offered on some of the apostolic initiatives that receive support from the faithful of the Prelature, as well as from cooperators and friends.

Finances of the Prelature

With regard to the Prelature as such, the faithful of Opus Dei and other benefactors offer alms and donations for the support and formation of its own clergy (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 295, § 2), for the material functioning of the central offices (prelatic curia) and the governing bodies in the various circumscriptions, and for financial assistance to needy persons. The Prelature accepts only those donations required to cover these needs, with the desire not to accumulate funds.

a) Curia of the Prelature in Rome

In 2023, the operating expenses of Opus Dei’s central offices amounted to €2,810,865, broken down as follows:

1. Ordinary maintenance of the buildings (buildings in the triangle formed by viale Bruno Buozzi, via di Villa Sacchetti and via Domenico Cirillo): €942,823. This amount does not include the investment in the renovations of the central offices, which are described below.

2. Salaries, administrative and management expenses (including expenses for the offices of the General Council and the Central Advisory, the communications office, legal and accounting advice, alms, travel, etc.): €843,336. This amount has been increased by the payroll and social security expenses of the people who have been hired by the Prelature during 2023.

3. Expenses for the consumption and assistance of those who help out in the work of the Prelatic Curia: €1,024,705. This item includes a provision for the future support of people who work in these tasks on a voluntary basis. It also includes expenses for the meals and care of the people residing at the central offices.

In 2023, work continued on the renovation of the building known as Casa del Vicolo (part of Villa Tevere, the Prelature’s central offices), as was reported on in issue no. 73 of Romana. This renovation has made it possible to readapt the rooms and better optimize the space, as well as allowing for considerable energy savings. The investment earmarked for this purpose in 2023 amounted to €1,141,400. The building is in the final phase of construction.

Work on the new central office building (begun in 2021 and described in more detail in issue no. 74), located at the corner of via di Villa Sacchetti and via Domenico Cirillo, has continued. The investment earmarked in 2023 amounted to 6,776,000 euros. In both cases, the expenses were covered by donations from members and friends of Opus Dei, offered for this purpose over the years.

b) Countries in which the Prelature is present

In the circumscriptions where it is established, the financial responsibility of the Prelature is limited to the support of its own clergy, the functioning of the seats of government and the assistance of needy persons. The regions of the Prelature are financially autonomous and therefore there is no consolidation of accounts, although they all function under the same principles of not accumulating more funds than are necessary to cover the purposes indicated above.

By way of example, the total expenses of the Prelature for the region of Cameroon in 2023 were €93,185, distributed as follows: support of the priests: €43,689 (47% of the expenses); government and formation: €43.044 (46% divided into personnel: €15,550, operation of the seats of government: €7,374, organization of formation activities: €15,947, miscellaneous: €4,174) and charitable aid: €6,451 (7%). To meet these needs, income was €94,000, practically all of which came from donations from the members and cooperators of this circumscription.

c) Other initiatives in Rome

The Roman College of the Holy Cross and the Roman College of Holy Mary are interregional centers for theological and spiritual formation, for men and women respectively, with their own structures. The Roman College of the Holy Cross is also the seat of the international seminary of Opus Dei. With about 130 residents, its financial turnover in 2021 was €2,424,045. The Roman College of Holy Mary had 79 women students from 30 different countries. The financial turnover was €849,607. Both centers are supported by contributions from the faithful of all the circumscriptions.

Also in Rome is the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, which offers four higher education degrees related to theology, philosophy, canon law and communication. A good part of the students are seminarians studying sacred sciences before being ordained priests, diocesan priests sent by their bishops to obtain licentiate and doctoral degrees, and religious. They come from every continent. The University’s website publishes annual financial data for each fiscal year.

The 2023 annual report records an income of €12,489,391 (72% of which came from donations from institutions related to this university in various countries, which include donations from benefactors), and expenses amounted to €12,504,123, with a negative accounting result of €14,732, With regard to aid for the formation of priests, it is worth mentioning that the foundations connected with the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (thanks to thousands of donors) granted €2,057,000 during 2023 in scholarships for 256 students coming from needy countries whose bishops cannot afford this expense.

Financial functioning of the apostolic initiatives to which the Prelature offers spiritual assistance.

These initiatives are educational and social institutions of a civil nature, brought forward by members of Opus Dei together with many other people. The Prelature takes responsibility for the pastoral care and Christian orientation, through an agreement with the promoters of each one. The juridical and financial concerns of these initiatives are the responsibility of civil juridical entities (associations, foundations, social cooperatives, etc.) that own and/or manage them, set up for this purpose. They are of course subject to the laws and regulations of each country, and report their financial results in accordance with the principles of transparency established by law and by their own statutes.

Each entity has its own governing bodies and is autonomous. That is, it has a clearly identifiable ownership and does not depend on the Prelature for its management or organization. They are financially sustained thanks to the income generated through their own activities (for example, the payment of tuition fees at a university) and, in many cases, also thanks to private donations and public subsidies in line with their purpose, as they are initiatives of social, educational and cultural interest.

As already mentioned, the directors of the Prelature inform the people of the Work and others about how to assist these initiatives. At the same time, they also ensure that the conditions for the correct management of goods are in place (seriousness, temperance, transparency, etc.), and that legal obligations are fulfilled.

The faithful of the Prelature also help out, to the extent of their possibilities, with the needs of the diocese and parish where they live. For example, through the regular collections for the missions (Domund), for Caritas, for the support of the diocesan seminary, and others that arise throughout the year to alleviate hunger or other basic needs. Many of them take part in other civil organizations dedicated to caring for the needy: soup kitchens, food banks, support associations for single mothers, medical clinics for the needy, etc.

In this issue of Romana we draw attention, by way of example, to the financial reports of some institutions of this type: the University of Piura (Peru) and Warrane College (Australia). In subsequent issues of Romana, information on other institutions on different continents will be included for illustrative purposes. The above-mentioned initiatives have authorized the publication of the information in this bulletin.

The University of Piura, founded by St. Josemaría Escrivá and promoted by the Association for the Development of University Education (ADEU), began its activities in 1969 in the city of Piura. Over the years, it has expanded its scope with the Escuela de Alta Dirección-PAD (1979), the opening of an undergraduate and graduate campus in Lima (2003), and additional locations in Chiclayo (1978) and Trujillo (2009), cities in northern Peru. It has an undergraduate student population of 9,525 students, and offers 25 academic programs. In postgraduate and extension programs, it has 2,681 students pursuing master’s degrees and doctorates, and 78 extension programs. The university seeks to transmit a professional and Christian vision of the person and the world.

According to its financial report, in 2023 the university granted 1,048 full or partial scholarships to undergraduate students at its campuses in Piura and Lima, using its own resources for this purpose. It also had in its classrooms 1,754 scholarship recipients from the National Scholarship Program, aimed at students from extremely poor families. The financial statements as of December 2023 reflect an annual surplus of 5,679,373 Peruvian soles at the Piura campus, 1,051,941 at the Lima campus and 1,581,027 at the PAD. For more details on the University’s financial situation, please consult the university transparency portal at https://www.udep.edu.pe/sobre-....

Warrane College (located on the campus of the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia) fosters academic excellence and a friendly support environment. In the Oxbridge tradition, Warrane offers many opportunities for personal, academic, spiritual and professional development. Thanks to a team of residential and academic tutors, the college strivesto help residents get the most out of university life and facilitates the development of a well-rounded personality. According to its annual report, in 2023 Warrane met its financial needs (about A$3,210,000) with student fees (80%) and donations from alumni and friends (20%), mostly in the form of scholarships for current residents.

Other solidarity and charity initiatives

Among the assistance initiatives promoted by the faithful of the Prelature, many provide services to the most disadvantaged sectors of society. By way of illustration, in the year 2023 the Harambee Africa International Foundation (born during the canonization of St. Josemaría Escrivá to promote educational projects in Sub-Saharan Africa) allocated 521,000 euros to initiatives run by African organizations. As its annual report states, some of the most noteworthy programs are medical training efforts in Ivory Coast, literacy and educational programs in Cameroon, the development of sustainable agriculture in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the integration and education of homeless children in Kenya. Thanks to the donations raised, the lives of thousands of people among the most vulnerable communities have been substantially impacted. Detailed information is available at www.harambee-africa.org.