Pope Francis cuts salaries for cardinals and members of the Roman curia

Pope Francis has decided to cut the salaries of cardinals and priests due to the worsening economic crisis in the Vatican due to the coronavirus, the Holy See press office reported on Wednesday.

In an apostolic letter, entitled “ Motu Proprio ”, published on Wednesday, the Pope announces that from April 1, the salary of cardinals will be reduced by 10% and that of heads and secretaries of dicasteries (ministries) by 8%. . And 3% that of the clergy and religious.

“An economically viable future today requires, among other decisions, the adoption of measures concerning staff salaries“Wrote the Argentine Pope in the document with which he announces the proportional and indefinite reduction of salaries in the Vatican.

The pontiff, who wants to avoid redundancies, considers that the expenses must be contained and that is why he decided to intervene “according to criteria of proportionality and progressivity” with adjustments which mainly affect the clergy, the religious and the higher pay levels, he says Vatican News, the Vatican information portal.

The decision was taken because of the “deficit which for several years has marked the economic management of the Holy See” and especially because of the situation caused by the pandemic, “Which negatively affected all sources of income of the Holy See and the Vatican City State,” the pontiff explained in the document.

Seniority salary increases are also blocked for two years for all employees at level 4 of the scale and above.

Vatican accounts are in the red due to drop in donations (25%), net loss of Vatican Museums revenue (85%) and the discounts it had to apply in 2020 on the rents of its premises to companies in crisis after the black year caused by the pandemic.

The Roman Curia, the central administration of the Catholic Church, which brings together 60 entities in the service of the Pope, recorded a hole “in the order of 90 million euros” (108 million dollars), in its 2020 accounts , compared to a deficit of 11 million euros ($ 13 million) in 2019.

In all, the Vatican employs nearly 5,000 people, who regularly receive their salary.

Last year, due to the health emergency, the Holy See had to draw on its well-supplied financial reserves in order to be able to cover the needs, without having to give up its many real estate assets.

It thus compensated for a drop of around “20 to 25%” of its revenues in 2020., which will likely be repeated in 2021, Vatican sources explained.

With information from AFP

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