Pope Francis
Pope Francis – Pope warns of organized crime trying to monetize pandemic Pope compares racism to virus Catholic priests promise to bless homosexuals in defiance of the Vatican MORE issued a decree on Wednesday calling for a 10 percent pay cut for cardinals and a cut in salaries for clergy in the Vatican in an effort to save the jobs of other workers.
The Vatican announced the order, saying the cuts will begin on the first day of April and lower-level workers will see no effect on their wages, Reuters said.
Clergy and other department heads will see a pay cut of between 3 and 8 percent with pay increases suspended until March 2023. Senior staff and other papal basilicas in the Vatican will follow the same cuts, Reuters reported.
Cardinals working and living in the Vatican or in Rome are reported to receive salaries of about $ 4,000-5,000 per month, which will be reduced in accordance with the Pope’s order.
The Pope has reportedly said on several occasions that he did not want to lay off employees, the press noted.
The Vatican’s top economic official noted earlier this month that the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church, may have to use nearly $ 40 million in reserve funding for the second year running as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Reuters reported.
COVID-19 forced the Vatican to close the Vatican museums, which are bringing in a lot of money, for almost 15 months. It reportedly expects a deficit of about $ 59.77 million this year.