Pope orders salary cuts for cardinals, clerics, to save jobs of ordinary employees

[March 24, 2021]    VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has ordered cardinals to take a 10 percent pay cut and reduced the salaries of other clerics working in the Vatican in order to save jobs of ordinary employees as the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Holy See's income.

Pope Francis gives a blessing as he leaves after his visit to the Roman parish of the Santissimo Sacramento on the outskirts of Rome, Italy, May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

The Vatican said on Wednesday that Francis issued a decree introducing proportional cuts starting on April 1. A spokesman said lower-level lay employees would not be affected by the cuts.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Alison Williams)

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