The Vatican has reduced the salaries of cardinals who hold senior positions in the Catholic Church in Rome by about 10%, or 500 euros ($540), per month, while Pope Francis continues his targeted “zero deficit” program.
Maximino Caballero Ledo, a Spanish cleric who heads the Vatican’s Finance Ministry, said in a memorandum he wrote that cardinals would no longer receive monthly allowances normally used to cover the costs of hiring personal assistants.
Caballero said in the memorandum dated October 18 that he acted at the request of Pope Francesco, and that the cuts would take effect on November 1.
Cardinals in Rome receive a monthly salary believed to range between 4,000 and 5,000 euros ($4,300 to 5,400), according to Italian media reports.
Francesco previously directed that the salaries of cardinals in Rome be reduced by 10% in March 2021, as the Vatican suffered the impact of a decline in tourism during the Corona virus pandemic.
He also began eliminating rent subsidies for cardinals and other senior Vatican officials in 2023.
