Scholas: “We do not receive any contributions from the Vatican”

It all started when the foundation turned down a donation of 1,666,000 pesos presented weeks ago by the Argentinian government. Back in Rome, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, found out about the enormous donation through the press. He was displeased both by the sum and by the fact that it was publicly presented as a “form of rapprochement” between the government of President Mauricio Macri and the Vatican, as if the bilateral relationship depended on money.

The Pope proceeded to write a long message to Scholas’ international heads, José María Del Corral (president) and Enrique Palmeyro (secretary). In this message, he expressed his concern “as a father and brother” about the possibility of them “start[ing] to take the slippery road towards corruption”. “Forgive me if this offends you,” Francis went on to say, “but this is a gentle slipping that happens without you even realising it,” it is “contagious” and “self-justifying” and eventually you end up “worse than at the start”. This is a “slippery and comfortable path which can be justified but is lethal,” he added.

After publication of this message,which had a strong impact in Argentina, Scholas Ocurrentes’ press office issued a statement claiming that it voluntarily submits its accounts for audits by the so-called “big four”- the world’s four major consulting conglomerates -, “just like any other institution of the Catholic Church”.

“The latest auditing report was produced by KPMG and it was presented to the Holy Father last 28 May in Vatican City,” the statement clarified. It highlited “the solidarity and spontaneous help given by people and organisations that are taking an interest and those which accompany the efforts of Scholas in Argentina and in the 190 countries where it works to integrate children and young people and to make a culture of understanding in the name of peace, a reality”.

As confirmed by sources within the foundation, int he coming hours Scholas will be publishing a detailed report of its accounts. It wished, however, to inform beforehand about some external donations it has received. It thanked the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) “for managing a seven million peso donation” and the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) for 3,5 million pesos received. It also mentioned the “more than 1,800,000 individual benefactors who have so far gifted a total of 640,700 pesos”.

Further on, it said that the foundation “does not spend money on propaganda or on advertising spaces and it finds its best expression in the thousands of students of all religious and cultural backgrounds that share in these experiences and their communities”.

“At Scholas, we believe that the best education has been, is and will continue to be one’s own example. Students taking part in our programmes learn to think about the real problems they face,” Del Corral said in the foundation’s statement.

“We are renewing the educational agreement from the bottom up, boosting participation among young people as citizens, in order to create a just and integarted society. Restoring values and ensuring young people go back to occupying a central role is not achieved simply by changing education laws and the school curriculum,” said Del Corral, who is currently in Colombia, where he will present the Scholas project to President Juan Manuel Santos in a private audience.

The statement also clarified that “the foundation does not spend money on propaganda and advertising spaces and its greatest representatives are the thousands of students of all religious and cultural backgrounds that share in these experiences and their communities”. It mentioned the three upcoming events being held as part of the Scholas Ciudadanía (citizenship) programme. The events are to take place in the Argentinian provinces of La Rioja, Córdoba and the City of Buenos Aires.

The use of the Holy See’s facilities for the six world conferences which the foundation has held since 2013 – in Casina Pío IV in the heart of the papal territory – and in the Paul VI Hall, does not seem to have been included among the items paid for with “Vatican subsidies”. Use of these facilities was offered free of charge by the Holy See. Nor is there any mention of the office assigned to them by the Vatican administration inside one of its extraterritorial buildings in Rome’s Trastevere neighbourhood.