The Vatican’s assets, the salary of Pope Francis and the cardinals: everything you need to know about the earnings of the Holy Father and the cardinals.
How much does the Pope earn? It may seem like a paradox given that we are talking about a religion that has the vow of poverty as one of its three Evangelical Counsels, but money is a very important aspect in the logic of the Vatican even in this pontificate.
In theory, Pope Francis also has the right to a regular salary, but he decided some time ago to give it up even though there is no shortage of possibilities for the Pontiff to support himself.
Another significant gesture by Pope Francis was the one taken in November 2023 when, through a letter sent by the Prefect of the Vatican Economy, Maximino Caballero Ledo, he informed the cardinals of the cut in their salary.
Despite these “Franciscan” decisions, the patrimony of the Church still remains so large today that it seems almost impossible to estimate the wealth of the Vatican, especially now with the 2025 jubilee.
Let’s try to shed some light on Pope Francis’ salary, taking a look at how much cardinals, bishops and priests earn, as well as trying to estimate the Church’s assets.
How much does a Pope earn
In principle, a Pope is entitled to a salary that cannot exceed 2,500 euros per month. At least this is what Pope Benedict XVI received - even after his resignation.
However, we have no certain information regarding how much his predecessor Pope John Paul II received, while an even more difficult task is to try to go further back in time.
In addition to the salary, a Pope also has the possibility of freely drawing on the Peter’s Pence, a fund at the IOR that collects donations for the purpose of sponsoring charitable projects planned by the Church and declared on the official website.
According to data reported by Avvenire, in 2022 the Peter’s Pence revenue amounted to 107 million euros, with expenditures amounting to 95.5 million.
Pope Francis’s salary
Since his proclamation, Pope Francis has decided to renounce his salary, thus not receiving the 2,500 euros that were instead paid to Pope Benedict XVI.
In fact, Pope Francis has decided to devote himself as much as possible to poverty, with the choice to renounce his salary which is in line with the principle embodied by the name he chose at the beginning of his pontificate.
As mentioned, the Pontiff can always count on Peter’s Pence for his sustenance, even if the Holy Father has been trying to put a stop to the Church’s expenses for some time.
How Much Do Cardinals Earn
Regarding this sort of spending review implemented by Pope Francis, in November 2023 the Pontiff decided to reduce the cardinals’ salaries by 500 euros.
In fact, a cardinal previously received a monthly salary of 5,500 euros; two of the items that make up the cardinals’ paychecks are those relating to the Secretariat Bonus and the Office Allowance which, overall, weigh for 500 euros.
About a year ago the Pope decided to cut these two items from the cardinals’ salaries, who now receive about 5,000 euros per month, or 10% less than in the past.
Even bishops and priests receive a salary, usually around 3,000 and 1,200 euros per month respectively, while nothing is due to friars and nuns unless they carry out a real work assignment.
The patrimony of the Church
With regard to the patrimony of the Church, there are estimates of the financial availability of the Holy See and the Vatican City - understood as the central body - that speak of approximately 5 billion euros.
Other estimates, however, considered reliable, of the overall patrimony of the Catholic Church, amount instead to over 2 thousand billion euros.
This last estimate includes all the wealth of the dioceses around the world as well as that of the religious congregations, health facilities and confessional schools and universities.
An absolute record, however, is that of being the largest gold reserve in the world. Since this is a particularly delicate topic, only approximate indicators exist, but it is reasonable to think that we are talking about 60,350 tons of gold: we are talking about 30.2% of the gold ever extracted.
However, the location of this enormous wealth is only partially known also because, despite the sense of transparency that Pope Francis has tried to impress on his Church, the ecclesiastical system remains an articulated, complex body and above all with a centuries-old history.
Original article published on Money.it Italy. Original title: Quanto guadagna il Papa? Lo stipendio di Papa Francesco (e dei cardinali)
