Pope Francis has eliminated free rent for cardinals and other high Vatican officials, saying they must contribute to expense reductions.
Maximino Caballero Ledo, a Spanish layman who leads the Vatican’s finance office, wrote a memo summarizing the new guidelines. Last month’s pope meeting prompted them.
On Tuesday, a senior Vatican official verified its contents.
Cardinals in Vatican-owned apartments in Rome or the city-state have lived rent-free till recently. They pay utilities and personnel.
Retired cardinals get pensions.
Bishops and Vatican administrators pay subsidized rents. In addition, presidents and Vatican department second- and third-ranking officials must follow the new guidelines.
The message did not mention cutting benefits for lower-level Vatican employees, most of whom are laypeople. In addition, several Vatican-owned Rome residences have below-market rentals.
In Caballero Ledo’s rescript, the pope ordered administrators to “make an unprecedented sacrifice” to boost income and ensure that as much money as possible goes to the Church’s mission.
It stated Francis had revoked all subsidies and that prominent officials should rent Vatican-owned flats at the same prices as non-Vatican renters.
The Vatican’s centuries-old, frescoed apartments’ new rents were unclear.
The message stated that the pope must personally authorize any exceptions to the new restrictions.
Two prominent Vatican prelates told Reuters under anonymity that they were confused by the new standards, especially because many Vatican bishops and priests earn less than their colleagues in other countries.
While the coronavirus outbreak devastated the Holy See’s revenue two years ago, Francis ordered cardinals to accept a 10% salary cut and decreased the wages of other Vatican clerics to maintain jobs.
That clause also targeted prominent Vatican officials.
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