Pope Francis has called for renewed commitment to curial cost-cutting in a letter to the College of Cardinals, and signaled that Vatican departments may be called upon to share their resources.
The letter, dated September 16, and published by the Holy See press office on Friday, highlights the ongoing financial pressures facing the Vatican, and Francis’ own decade-long program of reform, while calling for “zero deficit” spending.
Despite a years-long Vatican hiring freeze, senior salary cuts, and rent hikes for Roman cardinals, the pope this week asked the college to embrace “further efforts” to get spending under control in order “to guarantee the future of the Mission.”
Some Vatican-watchers have been warning for years that, despite the pope’s financial reforms, the curia is in danger of going bankrupt. The question now seems to be whether Francis is beginning to agree with them?
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