Pope Leo XIV marked his 71st birthday on Monday, with Vatican employees receiving a significant benefit as the Holy See announced the withdrawal of salary cuts introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A papal decree issued by the Vatican repeals the salary reductions ordered by Pope Francis in 2021 as part of cost-saving measures.
Leo said the measures “can now be overcome, in the certainty that the institutions of the Holy See and the Vatican City State will continue, through various means, their commitment to ensuring economic sustainability.”
The earlier cuts included a 10% reduction in salaries for cardinals, while office heads and lower-ranking priests and nuns faced smaller reductions. Biennial salary increases for senior lay employees were also suspended, although lower-ranking lay staff continued to receive raises.
The measures were introduced as the Holy See faced financial difficulties, including a structural deficit estimated at around 70 million euros and a pension fund shortfall of about 1 billion euros.
The Vatican had also suffered financially after the pandemic forced the Vatican Museums to close for months, while investment and currency fluctuations further affected its finances.
Leo, a former superior general of the Augustinian order and a mathematics major, is known for his understanding of financial matters.
