Pope Leo XIV reverses pay cuts for cardinals, restores 10% withheld during pandemic

The 10% pay cut for cardinals of the Roman Curia, imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been reversed by Pope Leo XIV, who has repealed the measures approved by Pope Francis in 2021.

The new decision lifts the “salary restraint measures” signed by Pope Francis on March 23, 2021, in response to the “extraordinary challenge of the pandemic.”

According to Pope Leo XIV, these restrictions are no longer necessary, as the institutions of the Holy See and Vatican City State will continue working to maintain financial stability through other mechanisms.

The measures introduced in 2021 provided for varying pay cuts, depending on the category of employee, as part of efforts to cope with the economic difficulties caused by the pandemic.

Vatican News reported that Pope Francis had reduced the salaries of cardinals of the Curia by 10%. Meanwhile, heads and secretaries of the Dicasteries, along with employees at the C and C1 levels, faced an 8% reduction, while a 3% cut was imposed on clerical and religious employees.

In addition to the reductions, the rules also included a freeze on pay increases granted every two years based on seniority. This restriction applied to all serving staff, while for lay employees it applied only from the fourth salary level upward, excluding the lowest-income categories.