Cardinals and other officials of the Holy See must make “sacrifices” and pay rent, according to the Vatican report. The decision should provide more transparency within the church.
Pope Francis wants to limit some of the privileges that cardinals and other dignitaries of the Holy See have long enjoyed. For example, he wants to end many real estate benefits, such as rent relief. The Vatican’s official news website reported this on Wednesday.
According to the papal decree, those in power are expected to make a “sacrifice” in the face of economic austerity by lowering the market price of their apartments, according to Vatican News.
• Lifting the “papal secret”: clerics are no longer allowed to remain silent in cases of abuse
This measure does not apply to existing contracts, but after their term expires, these contracts can only be extended or renewed “according to the new rules,” it seems. Exceptions are possible only with the direct permission of the Pope. The decision refers to the difficult economic context and the growing commitments of the Church.
The Vatican has a huge real estate portfolio worth billions of euros, including prestigious addresses in Paris, London and Geneva, and several apartments in Rome. Since his election in 2013, Francis has been trying to put the Holy See’s finances in order and increase transparency.
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