โป๊ปฟรานซิสสั่ง “ลดเงินเดือน” พระคาร์ดินัล-บาทหลวง โควิดทำขาดดุลจ่อพุ่ง 2 พันล้าน

File Photo: Pope Francis has ordered pay cuts for cardinals and other clerics as the Vatican battles to balance its books during the pandemic. Cardinals will see their pay reduced by 10% from April, the Vatican said. They are believed to receive up to €5,000 a month and often live in subsidised accommodation. The Vatican expects a deficit of €50m this year. Its income has been badly hit by the closure of museums and other attractions in the pandemic. The Pope has previously said that he does not want to fire people in difficult economic times. REUTERS

Pope Francis attends the weekly general audience at the library of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.

File Photo: In an apostolic letter on Wednesday (in Italian), the Vatican said that Francis had issued a decree introducing proportional cuts starting on 1 April. Priests and other clerics will see their salaries cut by between 3% and 8% and planned salary increases will be suspended until March 2023. “An economically sustainable future today requires, among other decisions, the adoption of measures concerning staff salaries,” the letter read. It said action was being taken “following the health emergency caused by the spread of Covid-19 which negatively affected all sources of income of the Holy See and the Vatican City State”. (Credit: Paul Haring/CNS.)