Copyright © 2002, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights reserved.

Diocesan Financial Issues


The document Diocesan Financial Issues was developed by the Committee on Budget and Finance of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It was approved by the full body of U.S. Catholic Bishops at its November 2002 General Meeting and has been authorized for publication by the undersigned.

Msgr. William P. Fay
General Secretary, USCCB

Translations are from Code of Canon Law Latin-English Edition New Translation,
prepared under the auspices of the Canon Law Society of America, Washington, D.C., 1999.

Excerpt from R. T. Kennedy, "Book V: The Temporal Goods of the Church (cc. 1254-1310)," in John P. Beal, James A. Coriden, and Thomas J. Green, eds., New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law (Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 2000), 1468-1469. Reprinted with permission from Paulist Press

Copyright © 2002, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.


Contents

Foreword
USCCB Accounting Practices Committee
  1. Annual Appeals
  2. Cemeteries
  3. Compensation of Priests and the Dual Tax Status of Priests: Employees for Income Tax Purposes, Self-Employed for Social Security Tax
    Diocesan Payments Associated with Priestly Formation
  4. Compensation of Priests: Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefits
    Guidelines for the Retirement of Bishops
  5. Compensation of Religious
    Medicare as Secondary Payer
  6. Compensation of Lay Employees of the Church: Employee or Independent Contractor?
    Taxation of Ordained Deacons
  7. Deposit and Loan Funds
  8. Diocesan Finance Councils
    Diocesan Financial Reporting—USCCB Resolution
  9. Diocesan Finance Officer
  10. Federal Funding
  11. Foundations
  12. Income Tax
    Income Tax Issues
    The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Group Ruling on Exemption
         from Federal Income Tax and The Official Catholic Directory
    Attachment A: Application for Inclusion in USCCB Group Ruling
    Attachment B: Sample Letter for Approved Group Ruling Applicants
  13. Internal Controls
    Management Antifraud Programs and Controls
  14. Investments
    Socially Responsible Investing
  15. Property and Equipment
  16. Records Retention
  17. Related Parties—Conflict of Interest Policy
    Diocesan Conflicts of Interest/Private Inurements Policy—Sample
  18. Service Funds
  19. School Tuition vs. Donation
  20. Special Collections
Appendices
  1. Financial Statements and Notes/Financial Reporting —Samples
  2. Resources