Francis Gives Cardinals April Fools’ Shock, by Jules Gomes

VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) – Pope Francis has ordered drastic cost-cutting measures in the Vatican from April 1 — slashing cardinals’ salaries by 10% — as lockdowns supported by the pontiff take a fatal toll on the Holy See’s finances.

An apostolic letter issued motu proprio (on his own impulse) by the pontiff Wednesday announced that the measure “on the containment of staff expenses” was taken “with a view to safeguarding current jobs.”

The letter explained that “an economically sustainable future today requires, among other decisions, the adoption of measures concerning staff salaries,” adding that “staff costs constitute a significant item of expenditure in the budget of the Holy See and the Vatican City State.”  …

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