Pope Leo XIV ends COVID-era pay cuts for Vatican cardinals

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VATICAN CITY (NPA) — Pope Leo XIV has repealed salary reductions imposed on cardinals and other senior officials working in the Roman Curia during the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing an austerity measure introduced by his predecessor, Pope Francis, in 2021.

According to a decree published by the Vatican on Monday, September 14, 2026, Leo cancelled the salary reductions introduced by Francis as part of measures aimed at containing staff costs and addressing the Holy See’s financial challenges.

Francis had ordered a 10 per cent reduction in the salaries of cardinals, effective April 1, 2021. The same measures reduced the remuneration of other senior officials by 8 per cent, while clergy and religious working for the Holy See and Vatican City State faced a 3 per cent reduction.

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The measures were introduced as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the financial position of the Holy See and Vatican City State, with the Vatican seeking to balance expenditure and revenue while safeguarding existing jobs.

A Vatican cardinal’s monthly stipend is reported to be about €5,000 ($5,768), meaning the 2021 measure represented a 10 per cent reduction from the remuneration previously paid to cardinals.

Francis had described the salary reductions as part of efforts to ensure an economically sustainable future for the Vatican, citing the financial deficit and the impact of the COVID-19 health emergency on the Holy See’s sources of revenue.

In his new decree, Leo said the salary reductions could now be set aside, expressing confidence that the institutions of the Holy See and Vatican City State would continue to pursue economic sustainability through other means.

The decision marks a reversal of one of the cost-cutting measures introduced during Francis’ pontificate as the Vatican confronted significant financial pressures during the pandemic.

The Vatican has continued to pursue broader financial and administrative reforms under Leo, who became pope in May 2025.