By Isaac Harold Gomes
Kolkata, June 29, 2026: Archbishop Elias Frank of the Archdiocese of Calcutta has introduced a revised framework for parish financial oversight, outlining new statutes for Parish Finance Committees aimed at improving transparency and accountability across local churches.
Archbishop Frank’s updated framework for Parish Finance Committees (PFCs) sets out clearer rules on membership, responsibilities and financial decision-making, replacing earlier guidelines issued in 2014 under retired Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta.
Under the revised statutes, each parish must establish a finance committee consisting of four to six members, with preference given to laypeople who have financial expertise.
The rules also prohibit close relatives of the parish priest from serving on the committee and require that all appointments receive the archbishop’s approval.
The measures are intended to ensure independence in financial supervision and to professionalize parish administration in one of India’s oldest Catholic jurisdictions.
At the core of the new framework is a detailed set of obligations governing how parish priests must consult and work with their finance committees.
The statutes specify that the priest is “obliged to hear” the PFC when preparing annual budgets, reviewing financial reports and considering certain categories of spending.
The statutes also set clear spending thresholds for financial oversight. Parish priests must consult the finance committee before approving nonrecurring expenditures between 15,000 rupees and 25,000 rupees.
For larger capital expenses — including the purchase of new assets or major repairs — ranging from 25,000 rupees to 50,000 rupees, the priest must obtain the committee’s consent.
For larger expenditures, the rules go further, requiring the priest to “get the consent” of the committee before proceeding.
Additional approvals from the archdiocese’s financial administrator are mandated for transactions exceeding defined thresholds, as well as for property sales, leases or acceptance of certain donations.
The statutes incorporate enforcement provisions, stating that any action taken in violation of these requirements would be invalid and could leave the parish priest personally liable for resulting financial losses.
The document reflects broader concern within the archdiocese about financial governance at the parish level.
It refers to past complaints of alleged fund mismanagement and notes that an inquiry committee was established in 2024 to investigate allegations involving a parish priest at St. Teresa’s Church in Maulali.
The outcome of that investigation has not been publicly disclosed.
Observers say the revised statutes represent an effort by church leadership to restore confidence among parishioners by setting clearer rules and requiring broader consultation in financial decisions.
The framework also highlights ongoing gaps. It notes that not all parishes currently have finance committees in place, and it does not include a requirement for maintaining a comprehensive asset register, which could provide a clearer record of parish property and resources.
Even so, supporters argue that the new measures could mark a significant step toward improving governance if fully implemented across the archdiocese.
By formalizing roles, introducing checks on spending and mandating oversight for major transactions, the statutes seek to align parish administration with stronger standards of accountability.
Church officials have not indicated a timeline for full compliance, but the success of the initiative is likely to depend on consistent enforcement and participation at the parish level
(Photo courtesy of Calcutta Archdiocese)