The Vatican issued an update to its public procurement regulations to streamline steps in the Holy See’s contracting processes while maintaining integrity and transparency. 

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The new general executive decree was signed on Aug. 5 by the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, Maximino Caballero Ledo, and took effect on Aug. 10. 

The decree contains the implementing regulation from Pope Francis’ 2020 apostolic letter in the form of motu proprio regarding “Norms on Transparency, Control, and Competition in the Procedures for the Award of Public Contracts of the Holy See and the Vatican City State.” The apostolic letter was later amended by the subsequent 2024 motu proprio titled “To Better Harmonize,” which updated the Holy See’s code of contracts.

Composed of eight sections and 52 articles, the decree applies the provisions of “To Better Harmonize” to outline specific rules that must be followed in the procurement process to ensure contracts are awarded fairly.

The document involves collaboration between various Vatican departments to foster greater trust among Vatican internal offices and its external contractors.

The decree reaffirms the Vatican’s mission to provide equal treatment to operators and to prevent discrimination among bidders. It also aims to promote cost effectiveness and to simplify bureaucratic steps to avoid delays.

In line with Pope Francis’ 2022 apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, Church teachings, and Church law, the regulations draw from past experiences to emphasize transparency and responsible use of resources and ethical business practices in the execution of financial decisions and transactions.

This article was originally published by CNA.