Pope Leo ends COVID-era salary cuts for cardinals and senior Vatican officials

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV has repealed provisions introduced by Pope Francis in March 2021 that reduced the salaries of cardinals and Vatican employees as a cost-saving measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vatican published the papal decree, signed earlier in the month, on Sept. 14, Pope Leo’s birthday, a day on which the pope also issued a decree ordering the construction of a new building in Vatican City State to house the excess holdings of the library and the Vatican Apostolic Archive.

In the motu proprio, Pope Leo XIV explained that his predecessor’s “salary-containment measures” had been necessary in order to confront “the exceptional challenge of the pandemic.”

The provisions had already been partially amended in 2025 through the repeal of Article 3 by a “Rescriptum ex Audientia” dated June 16, 2025.

“Now they can be brought to an end, in the certainty that the institutions of the Holy See and Vatican City State will continue, through different means, their commitment to ensuring economic sustainability,” Pope Leo wrote.

Pope Leo said that “having heard the competent opinion of the Secretariat for the Economy” and “having carefully considered everything,” he decided to repeal Pope Francis’ 2021 decree, “A Sustainable Future.”

Pope Francis’ measures had reduced the salaries of cardinals serving in the Curia by 10%. Employees of the Holy See, the Vatican Governorate and other related institutions classified in salary grades C and C1 — namely the heads and secretaries of dicasteries — received an 8% reduction.

A general reduction of 3% was also applied to employees who were clergy or members of religious institutes.

The accompanying suspension of biennial seniority increases — the pay rises normally awarded every two years — affected all serving personnel.

In the case of lay employees, however, it applied only to those at level four and above, and therefore did not affect the lowest salaries.

Read more Vatican News

Catholics must engage with modern culture, not reject it, pope says

Pope Leo to offer 12 public Masses in November, including in a Rome cemetery

Montse Alvarado prepares to step into Vatican communications prefect role Nov. 1

Pope Leo’s doctors confirm his visit to Latin America two weeks after lung surgery

Pope recognizes heroic virtues of 6 Catholics, from missionary bishops to Padre Pio’s spiritual son

Vatican’s doctrine office publishes ‘Venite ad Me’ on passing on the faith amid ‘epochal change’

Copyright © 2026 OSV News

 Print