Pope Francis had implemented a plan to cut off the perks of the Cardinals and moved to remove free rent and make the senior Vatican officials contribute to the expenses. The Vatican has recently issued new rules regarding its finances. These rules were outlined in a note submitted by Maximino Caballero Ledo, the current leader of the Vatican's finance ministry. The laws resulted from Ledo's meeting with the Pope in the previous month.
The note containing the new rules was posted in the Vatican's central courtyard without any announcement or ceremony. On Tuesday, February 28, a senior Vatican official confirmed the note's contents to the Reuters news agency.
Perks for Cardinals and Some Officials of the Vatican are to be Removed
In a recent move of the Pope and some officials, the Vatican has announced new rules regarding rent for cardinals and other senior officials living in Vatican-owned apartments in and around Rome. Cardinals have been living rent-free, while bishops and other managers have been paying subsidized rents.
According to a shared article in Rappler, under the new rules, senior management levels of clergy and lay people, including presidents and officials ranking second and third in Vatican departments, will be required to pay market-rate rents for their apartments. This change will not affect lower-level Vatican employees, most of whom are lay people, and some currently pay below-market rents for Vatican-owned flats in Rome.
The source continued that some cardinals who live in Vatican-owned apartments are retired and receiving pensions. While they will be required to pay market-rate rents under the new rules, they will still be responsible for covering their utilities and staff-related expenses.
The move is seen as an effort to increase income flows and ensure that more money goes toward the mission of the Church. According to Reuters, the note written by Maximino Caballero Ledo says that all past subsidies have been repealed and that the pope must personally approve exceptions to the new rules.
Some Vatican officials have expressed shock at the new rules, particularly as many bishops and priests working in the Vatican already receive lower salaries than their counterparts in other countries. Two years ago, Pope Francis ordered a 10% pay cut for cardinals and reduced the wages of other clerics to save jobs during the pandemic, but this only affected some Vatican employees.
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Raises that have Been Suspended for Two Years
According to another source, the Catholic News Agency, automatic raises for some officials and employees have been suspended for two years. The new measures also include a change in housing policy, requiring senior officials to pay total market rent for Vatican-owned apartments. The policy applies to cardinals, dicastery heads, presidents, secretaries, undersecretaries, managers, and auditors of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.
Pope Francis can only grant exceptions to the policy. The Santa Marta guest house, where the Pope resides, and two other guest houses will also be affected by the change in housing policy. Existing rental agreements will be allowed to continue until their expiry.
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