How much does a Catholic Church cardinal make? The surprising salaries of the prelates
Cardinals are high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church, appointed by the Pope, whose main duties include advising him, governing the Roman Curia, and now, electing the new Pope in the conclave.
Cardinals do not have a fixed salary for being cardinals, but their livelihood depends on their position. For example, if they work in the Vatican, they can receive between $3,240 and $5,400 a month (depending on responsibility). If they are in a diocese, their salary is similar to that of a bishop: around $1,296 - $1,620 monthly, plus covered expenses (housing, transportation, etc.). Many senior cardinals also receive ecclesiastical pensions.
Their true “power” is religious and administrative, not economic. The salary of the cardinals is among the highest in the Catholic Church, which is why Pope Francis reduced their salary by 10 percent during his papacy.
Cardinals and their key role
Cardinals are one of the highest ranks in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, just below the Pope. The College of Cardinals consists of 252 cardinals, of which 137 prefects are under 80 years old and have the right to vote in the conclave to elect the new Pope. The rest cannot participate in the papal election, but they do have a voice in the pre-conclave congregations (perhaps the most important) and within the Sistine Chapel itself, although not in the closed room.
One of their jobs now is to elect the new Pope when the conclave begins, which starts between 15 and 20 days after the Pope’s death. Once there, the cardinals vote up to four times a day, requiring a two-thirds majority to elect the new Pope.
The United States is currently the second country with the most presence in the College of Cardinals of the Holy See, with 17 members, behind Italy (with 51).
The economic cut to cardinals
In March 2021, Pope Francis announced a salary cut for cardinals (and other high-ranking officials of the Roman Curia) as part of his reforms to promote transparency and economic austerity in the Vatican.
It affected cardinals, bishops, and priests with positions in the Roman Curia (the Vatican’s central government). The average salary of a cardinal in the Vatican before the cut was around $4,320 - $5,400 per month, meaning they lost $432 - $540 per month.
The measure was justified by the Vatican’s financial crisis, worsened by the pandemic and the decline in revenue from tourism and donations. It also aimed to equalize conditions with the clergy in poorer countries. It did not affect cardinals outside the Curia. Retired cardinals or those in dioceses maintained their usual income (which is generally much more modest).
It is important to understand that one can be a cardinal and also be in charge of an archdiocese in the Vatican, and depending on the duties in each country or if they hold other positions such as president of a Episcopal Conference or lead a Dicastery, they may have higher earnings.
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