Identification and analysis of the actors, practices and activities related to Christian finance - Identification et analyse des acteurs, pratiques et activités de la finance chrétienne

2015/08/28

CODOFINE - Position on the USCCB Guidelines and other Local Guidelines (2015-03)

Following the Assessment 2015-01 of the EXCELSIS Rating Committee as to the SP 500 Catholic Values Index, the Council of Doctrinal Financial Ethics (the "Codofine") was requested by the OFCCFO's president to clarify its position with regard to the text entitled "Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines" as issued by "the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops" in November 2003 (the "USCCB Guidelines"), and more broadly, any other texts relating to ethical finance disclosed by a national recognized Christian authority (the "Local Guidelines").

The Codofine points out that the Fundamental Charter of Christian Ethical Finance (the "Charta") does not refer explicitly to Local Guidelines in its preamble as the drafting committee could not list exhaustively all the sources which are potentially applicable to the Christian Ethical Financial Activities and Actors.

The Codofine is of the opinion that the Local Guidelines and the Charta complement each other. The Charta considers "that it is essential that financial activities of any kind, are regulated, from now on, by a common Christian ethical frame" in order to foster the emergence of a consolidated Christian financial sector.

As a consequence, the Codofine opines the followings:

1- The Charta has a broader scope than the Local Guidelines: for instance, the USCCB Guidelines are specifically Catholic and are designed for the United States of America, so that certain provisions of the USCCB Guidelines may derogate from the Charta to "take account of the local cultural specificities" according to Article 4 of the Charta ;

2- The Charta is presumed to include implicitly every Local Guidelines, including the USCCB Guidelines although these are not explicitly referred to in the preamble of the Charta ;

3- The Charta provides for a common international Christian ethical frame, by listing practical objectives and conducts, on a transactional or organizational level, and summarizing fundamental principles deemed to complement and harmonize the Local Guidelines ;

4- The stakeholders, activities, products, behaviors, concepts and organizations in the banking, financial or insurance sectors, which comply with Local Guidelines shall be presumed to be compliant with the Fundamental Principles of the Charta provided that no obvious inconsistency arises.

The Codofine

The last three tweets of Pope Francis (in English/French/German/Italian/Spanish)


Les trois derniers minimessages du Pape François... 


  1. Lord, help us always to be more generous and closer to poor families.
  2. A Christian who is too attached to riches has lost his way.
  3. Reading the Gospel each day helps us to overcome our selfishness and to follow Jesus our Teacher with dedication.

*
  1. Seigneur, aide-nous à être plus généreux et toujours plus proche des familles pauvres
  2. Un chrétien trop attaché à l’argent s’est trompé de route
  3. Une lecture quotidienne de l’Évangile nous aide à vaincre notre égoïsme et à suivre résolument le Maître, Jésus

*

  1. Herr, hilf uns, gegenüber den armen Familien großzügiger zu sein und ihnen immer mehr zur Seite zu stehen.
  2. Ein Christ, der zu sehr am Geld hängt, ist auf dem falschen Weg.
  3. Das tägliche Lesen im Evangelium hilft uns, unseren Egoismus zu besiegen und Jesus, dem Meister, entschieden zu folgen.

*

  1. Signore, aiutaci a essere più generosi e sempre più vicini alle famiglie povere.
  2. Un cristiano troppo attaccato ai soldi ha sbagliato strada.
  3. Una lettura quotidiana del Vangelo ci aiuta a vincere il nostro egoismo e a seguire con decisione il Maestro, Gesù.

*

  1. Señor, ayúdanos a ser más generosos y a estar más cerca de las familias pobres.
  2. Un cristiano que está demasiado apegado al dinero se ha equivocado de camino.
  3. La lectura diaria del Evangelio nos ayuda a superar nuestro egoísmo y a seguir con decisión a Jesús, el Maestro.