Vatican City, 24 March, 2021 / 4:50 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Francis issued a letter Wednesday cutting the salaries of some Vatican employees as a way to contain costs after the institution’s budget projected a deficit of $60 million in 2021.
The pope said that cardinals paid by the Vatican would have their salaries cut by 10%. According to Italian media, the cardinals in the Roman Curia receive a monthly stipend of around $6,000 from the Holy See.
The pay of other high-ranking officials and employees of the Holy See and Vatican City State will also be reduced by 8%, and some clergy and religious employed by the Vatican will see their salaries lowered by 3%.
Raises, which occur automatically every two years, will also be suspended for some Holy See officials and Vatican employees until March 31, 2023, the pope decreed.
The measures, which also apply to the Vicariate of Rome, the papal basilicas, and other entities connected to the Vatican, will go into effect April 1.