Pope Leo XIV Reverses Salary Cuts, Celebrates Birthday with Vatican Employees

2:02 PM ETDeveloping

Faith Desk

In Short: Pope Leo XIV has repealed salary cuts imposed by his predecessor and canceled plans to move the Vatican's secret archives, reversing financial measures taken during the pandemic.

Pope Leo XIV has rescinded salary cuts imposed by Pope Francis in 2021, as part of cost-saving measures during the pandemic. The decree also canceled plans to move the Vatican's secret archives and library holdings out of the city state, a move that had been planned by Francis.

Leo XIV celebrated his 71st birthday on Monday, but it was Vatican employees who received a gift as the Pope reversed financial measures that had affected them. The biennial pay raises for senior lay employees were frozen, but lower-ranking employees continued to receive raises.

According to reports, the Vatican faced a structural deficit and a pension fund shortfall, estimated at around 70 million euros and 1 billion euros respectively. The pandemic also closed the Vatican Museums, depriving the Holy See of a significant source of revenue, and the Vatican’s coffers suffered from investment and currency fluctuations.

In a speech, Cardinal Peter Czerny cited Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, emphasizing the need for shared responsibility in achieving sustainability. The Pope also noted that unprecedented opportunities have arisen to create new spaces within Vatican City itself, and ordered the construction of a new building to house the secret archives and library holdings.

What's confirmed

The Vatican published a papal decree repealing 2021 salary cuts that Pope Francis had imposed on many Vatican employees as part of the Holy See’s COVID-19 cost-saving measures.
His brother, John Prevost, recently told Italian broadcaster Mediaset that the pope helped him out recently with a question he had about filing his taxes.
Soon after he was elected, Leo said the Vatican’s financial situation wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought and that Francis had made some important reforms.
In another decree published Monday, Leo canceled Francis’ plans to move some of the Vatican’s secret archives and library holdings out of the city state and onto the grounds of a pontifical university across town.
Leo said “unprecedented opportunities have arisen to create new spaces” within Vatican City itself.
He ordered the construction of a new building on a current parking lot to house the material, which includes ancient manuscripts and entire archival collections from past popes, religious congregations and benefactors.
Leo visited the Vatican Apostolic Library on Monday, and noted that it was particularly fitting to be celebrating his birthday with its staff since his mother was a librarian.
VATICAN CITY -- VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV celebrated his 71st birthday on Monday but it was Vatican employees who got the gift.

What's still developing

Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.

Sources

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