El recorte que León XIV acaba de derogar ahorraba unos 8.000 euros por cardenal

Pope Leo XIV repealed a 2021 rule on September 14 that reduced the monthly stipends of cardinals by ten percent. According to an analysis by Ed Condon published in The Pillar, this measure saved the Holy See approximately 8,000 euros per year for each cardinal residing in Rome.

The repeal reverses a previous austerity gesture approved by Pope Francis. While the 2021 cut was highly visible, the analysis notes that the savings were small compared to the structural deficit of the Curia, which is measured in tens of millions of euros.

The Holy See's structural deficit decreased from 83.5 million euros in 2023 to 44.4 million euros in 2024. The Secretariat for the Economy attributed this improvement to a nearly 79 million euro increase in revenue from donations, hospital activities, and real estate and commercial management, rather than a reduction in spending. Operating costs rose from 1,235.6 million euros to approximately 1,275 million euros during that period.