Vatican: after cut in cardinals' salaries, employees fear same fate

Lay Vatican employees express concern after the recent cuts to the so-called 'cardinal plate' cards.

"The news of the reduction in the salaries of cardinals," reads the website of the Association of Lay Employees of the Vatican, "has had great resonance in the media. In practice, the Spe has made it known that the payment of the Gratifica per la Segreteria and the Indennità di Ufficio (Office Allowance) hitherto recognised among the monthly emoluments is suspended".

There are several questions. "The first,' the text continues, 'is it correct to intervene on the salary of Cardinals who, although they represent the top of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, receive a salary commensurate with their representative role and the responsibilities it entails (certainly lower than the emoluments of other executives)? Moreover, in view of the derisory income that will result from this arrangement, the number of Curia cardinals being limited to around thirty, what is the real rationale behind this decision? We find it hard to believe that the Holy See's debts are to be paid off with a few pennies (about 500 euro per cardinal with the maximum seniority)'.

"A doubt has crept in among the Vatican lay employees," is the fear, "that this is a preparatory action for further cuts in our salaries to cover the Holy See's budget deficit that the economic reform apparently fails to stem? Are there other categories that could be called upon to make these sacrifices (e.g. allowances, rents and benefits of lay leaders) or areas that could be turned into sources of income/revenue? We sincerely hope that all these possibilities have already been evaluated. We can only speculate, as we have not received any information on this.