Pope Francis lowers the salary of his cardinals. Other top employees will also have to settle for a lower-income shortly, the Vatican reports.
Due to the corona crisis, this is counting on a budget deficit of tens of millions of euros.
The salary reduction will take effect on April 1. The cardinals have to give up the most. They lose 10 percent.
The high clergy, according to Reuters news agency, probably earn about 4,000 to 5,000 euros a month. They also get access to relatively inexpensive rental apartments in the Italian capital. The salary of some other Vatican employees is cut by 3 to 8 percent.
The Pope has made it clear that he wants to prevent employees from having to be fired. Personnel in lower positions are spared the salary cuts.
According to the Holy See, these are needed because of the corona crisis, which has also affected the church’s finances. For example, the Vatican Museums had to close their doors for a long time, resulting in less income.