Nigeria: Pope Leo XIV restores Vatican salaries
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
Pope Leo XIV has restored the salaries of cardinals and senior Vatican officials to the levels they were receiving before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision reverses salary reductions introduced by the late Pope Francis in 2021 as the Vatican faced financial pressure caused by the pandemic and persistent budget challenges.
Under the earlier measures, cardinals had their salaries reduced by 10 per cent, while senior Vatican officials faced an eight per cent cut.
In a decree issued on Monday, September 14, 2026, to mark his 71st birthday, Pope Leo announced that the salary reductions had been abolished with effect from September 1.
The pontiff explained that the cuts had been introduced as an exceptional measure to help the Holy See deal with the financial difficulties created by the Covid-19 crisis.
With the situation improving, he said the measure could now be lifted, while stressing that Vatican institutions would continue working to maintain financial sustainability.
The decree clarified that the restoration of salaries would not be applied retroactively, meaning officials would not receive back payments for the period during which the cuts were in effect.
A cardinal serving in the Roman Curia, the central administrative body of the Catholic Church, is estimated to earn between €4,500 and €5,000 per month.
The decision comes as the Vatican’s financial position shows signs of improvement.
In its annual report released in May, the Vatican bank, formally known as the Institute for the Works of Religion, reported a net profit of €51 million.
In another decree issued on the same day, Pope Leo also overturned a plan approved by Pope Francis to move some Vatican archives outside the city-state.
Instead, the new decree stated that a building would be constructed within Vatican City to accommodate the archives.
The latest decisions mark further changes under Pope Leo XIV as his administration continues to address the Vatican’s finances and manage its institutions.
