Bishops and bankers meet to help Catholics seeking to ethically invest
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Religious communities are increasingly seeking to invest in companies that match their faith values and ethical concerns, but experts say the financial market lags in providing the appropriate options. A conference in London on Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 11-12) sought to bridge that gap by bringing together financial service industry experts with Anglican and Catholic leaders, who represent dioceses and congregations all over the world and an estimated portfolio of $1.75 trillion. “What we are seeing is that there’s increasing interest from religious organizations, not just Catholic, but also other Christian denominations, to make sure money is indeed managed in an aligned way with their faith,” Peter Hugh Smith, chief executive of London-based CCLA Investment Management, told RNS in an interview. CCLA, a London-based organization that manages funds for the Church of England and other religious charities, hosted the conference. The Mensuram Bonam Summit, from the Latin meaning “for good measure,” was named after a document published in 2022 by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, which laid out guidelines for …
