BOSTON, April 30, 2025 ~ The Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), a Catholic Lay Apostolate dedicated to promoting transparency in Church operations, has recently released its 2024 diocesan financial and governance transparency reports. These reports were sent to each diocesan bishop and CFOs of all 176 dioceses in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) before being made available to the public.

According to the reports, the average overall transparency score for 2024 remained unchanged at 71%, the same as in 2023. However, there was a slight increase in the overall governance score from 34% in 2023 to 35% in 2024. These reports, along with previous VOTF reports on diocesan financial and governance transparency, can be found on the VOTF website.

Out of all the dioceses and archdioceses reviewed, ten received perfect scores of 100% for financial transparency in 2024. Most of these dioceses had also received perfect scores in the previous year. Some notable improvements were seen in certain dioceses, such as a significant increase of 50 points in financial transparency for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Additionally, six dioceses received high governance scores of either 95% or 100%, with the Archdiocese of Denver showing a significant increase of 63 points from the previous year.

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However, these positive changes were offset by some significant decreases in other dioceses' scores, resulting in an overall average that remained relatively unchanged from last year. In some cases, there were delays in updating financial reports which affected their scores. Margaret Roylance, a trustee for VOTF, emphasized that timely posting of current audited financial statements is crucial for ensuring transparency and accountability within a diocese.

Furthermore, VOTF noted that some information previously available on certain diocesan websites had disappeared without explanation in 2024. For example, the link to the financial summary of the Archdiocese of New York was no longer accessible, resulting in a decrease of 25 points and a score of only 12 out of 100 for the diocese. This was the lowest score among all dioceses in the USCCB.

Despite these disappointing lapses in transparency, VOTF commended those dioceses that showed exemplary transparency and accountability in 2024, as well as those that made significant improvements from the previous year. The organization also expressed its gratitude for the dedication of most US dioceses in providing up-to-date information on how donations are being used. VOTF remains committed to promoting transparency throughout the Church, believing that it can enhance lay stewardship, encourage generosity, and build trust in Catholic leadership nationwide.

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In a statement released on April 30th, 2025, VOTF urged all dioceses to prioritize transparency and accountability in their operations for the benefit of their faithful followers. For further information or inquiries, please contact VOTF at (781) 559-3360.

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