global
Pope Leo XIV Repeals Pandemic-Era Vatican Employee Salary Cuts
Just the facts
The papal decree rescinds salary reductions implemented in 2021 by Pope Francis to curb operating deficits resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The original austerity measures included a 10 percent wage cut for cardinals alongside smaller reductions for senior administrators, priests, and nuns. In the decree, Pope Leo stated that the Vatican's current financial trajectory allows the Holy See to overcome the emergency wage caps while pursuing sustainable budgeting. Additionally, the pontiff canceled Francis's proposal to transfer sections of the Vatican Apostolic Library and Secret Archives to an external university, ordering instead the construction of a new archive building within Vatican City.
Why this is news
Pope Leo XIV celebrated his 71st birthday by issuing a papal decree repealing austerity wage cuts previously imposed on Holy See personnel.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.