Pope Leo has dissolved a high-level Catholic commission, established by his predecessor Francis to encourage Vatican donations, rolling back one of the late pontiff’s final decisions.
The “Commission on Donations for the Holy See” was instituted by Francis in February, during his final illness, to help stem a widening gap in the Vatican’s finances.
Comprising five Italian Church officials, the group aimed to encourage contributions from lay Catholics and other benefactors, though some insiders questioned their fundraising expertise.
Leo’s decree, dated 29 September and released on Thursday, offered no specific reasons for the dissolution.
The Pope directed that all collected funds be given to the Vatican’s general accounting office, stating a new work group would consider a future fundraising commission.
The Vatican reported its first budget surplus last month after years of deficits that had long-frustrated Church leaders.
Francis, who died in April, had long struggled to get the Vatican’s budget under control.
He was battling firm resistance from his own cardinals in his last months as he sought to plug the gap in the Vatican’s finances, and slashed cardinals’ salaries three times between 2021 and 2024.
Adding to the budget concerns are growing liabilities within the Vatican’s pension fund, which were estimated to total some €631 million by the Vatican’s finance czar in a 2022 media interview.
There has been no official update to this figure, but several insiders told Reuters they believe it has ballooned.
“The budget problems are going to force the Vatican to do a lot of things it doesn’t want to do,” Rev. Tom Reese previously said, a Jesuit priest and commentator who has written about the Vatican’s finances.
The Vatican may have to limit its charitable works or downsize its diplomatic presence at embassies across the world, he said.
“The footprint of the pope could be severely reduced,” said Reese. “If you can’t pay your bills, you can’t do much.”
The Vatican suffered a substantial loss of tourist income during the Covid pandemic. In October 2024, the pope also said there would have to be cuts to the at-least €40 million budget for the Vatican’s extensive multi-language media operations.
