VATICAN CUTS SALARIES OF CARDINALS AS COVID THREATENS ITS COFFERS

The economic chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic has claimed its latest victim: The salaries of the cardinals and high-level prelates who help run the Vatican.

The Vatican announced that financial straits means that, starting April 1, salaries for cardinals will decline by about 10 percent, those for heads of departments and secretariats by about 8 percent and those for priests and other clergy working in the Vatican by about 3 percent, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

"A sustainable economic future requires today, among other decisions, adopting measures that also concern employee salaries," read a Vatican statement. It did not say what level of pay the affected clergy currently draws.

The Holy See said it expects a 50-million-euro ($59.2-million) deficit for 2021 thanks to the pandemic, but noted that only builds on years of shortfalls. It also argued that it will be able to secure jobs by slashing its salary bill.

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