Pope restores pre-Covid salaries for cardinals, senior officials

Pope Leo XIV has restored the salaries of cardinals and senior Vatican officials to pre-Covid levels, reversing pay cuts introduced by Pope Francis in 2021, according to Channels TV. The outlet reports the decree, issued Monday on the pontiff’s 71st birthday, takes effect September 1, 2026, and will not apply retroactively.

Channels TV notes Francis had cut cardinals’ salaries by 10 percent and senior officials’ pay by eight percent to ease pandemic-era financial pressure. A Curia cardinal earns between 4,500 and 5,000 euros monthly, per the report, which also cites the Vatican bank’s 51 million euro profit reported in May, reflecting improved finances.