Pope Leo 14 Revokes Salary Cuts for Vatican Officials

Pope Leo 14 issued a decree on Monday revoking salary cuts for cardinals and high Vatican officials that were originally implemented by Pope Francisco in 2021. The previous measures, introduced during the Covid 19 pandemic to address a chronic deficit and financial strain, had reduced salaries for cardinals by 10 percent and for high officials of the dicasteries by 8 percent. The new decree, published on the Pope's 71st birthday, stipulates that these cuts will be suspended starting September 1, 2026. The decision is not retroactive, meaning the amounts discounted during the period of austerity will not be returned. Cardinals in the Roman Curia typically earn between 4,500 and 5,000 euros per month. The Pope stated that while the restrictions were necessary to face the exceptional challenge of the pandemic, they can now be overcome. This decision follows a record year for the Vatican bank, which reported a net profit of 51 million euros in May. Additionally, Pope Leo 14 annulled a project by Pope Francisco to move part of the Vatican Library archives outside the city state, opting instead to build a new building within the Vatican. While both reports agree on the facts of the salary restoration, a center left source frames the move as a salary increase for the Curia, whereas a center source frames it as the revocation of previous cuts.