Pope further tightens controls, centralisation of Vatican finances

VATICAN CITY, Aug 23 (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Tuesday acted to eliminate wiggle room or foot- dragging by Vatican departments in imposing tighter financial controls, setting a deadline for the closing of investment portfolios in foreign banks, including in Italy. Francis...
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Catholic Finance professionals make ArchNY schools among the Best in the Nation

For more than 200 years, the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of New York have provided quality education, playing an instrumental role in allowing children from under-resourced New York City neighborhoods to have access to safe, faith-affirming environments, along with...
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Assessing the US Bishops’ SRI Guidelines: The Evolution of Value-Based Investing

by CFA Member Zung Nguyen In 2003, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released its Socially Responsible Investment guidelines. Over the years, these solid principles have inspired the creation of many new Catholic values funds, new models of training for...
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The Rapid Growth of Microfinance Loans: An Interview with the founder of the first MFI Rating Agency

After twenty-five years with the World Bank Group, Damian von Stauffenberg ventured into the emerging world of microcredit back in 1997, founding the first rating agency to analyze microfinance institutions. The Catholic Finance Association sat down with Mr. von Stauffenberg to...
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When God is Your Portfolio Manager

What would Jesus buy? That question is spreading in the investing world, as evangelicals and other Christians seek investment management and financial planning to match their interpretation of biblical principles. The latest sign of the rise of faith-based investing was the...
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On finance, can the Vatican still do better?

Over the past decade, various Vatican offices have produced several documents addressing the vexed topic of finance and banking. Given the turmoil and scandals characterizing the world’s financial sectors over the past two decades, such interventions are to be expected, even...
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The Catholic church becomes an impact investor

“YOU cannot serve both God and money,” admonishes the Bible. But the church has always tried. In the Middle Ages monasteries were what would now be termed social enterprises. They would produce bread, books or other goods. A Franciscan monk is credited with codifying double-entry...
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Jamie Dimon thinks America’s ‘secret sauce’ is at risk

Like Warren Buffett, JPMorgan (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon thinks the U.S. economy has the “secret sauce.” To Dimon, however, the public’s current view of what businesses and the corporate world are all about risks taking this away from the U.S. economy. Because to Dimon,...
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Paul Tudor Jones: Do we need to rethink capitalism?

Paul Tudor Jones II loves capitalism. It’s a system that has done him very well over the last few decades. Nonetheless, the hedge fund manager and philanthropist is concerned that a laser focus on profits is, as he puts it, “threatening the very underpinnings of...
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Pope Francis Praises Free Enterprise: a ‘Noble Vocation, Directed to Producing Wealth’

Pope Francis praised the free market and the role of businesses in the creation of wealth and in the promotion of the common good in an address before 7,000 businesspeople Saturday. Although Pope Francis is often portrayed as anti-capitalist, he keeps his critics guessing with...
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