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Pope Leo has disbanded a high-level Catholic commission set up by his predecessor Francis to encourage Vatican donations, rolling back one of the late pontiff’s final decisions.
The “Commission on Donations to the Holy See” was established by Francis in February during his final illness, to help plug the growing gap in the Vatican’s finances.
This group, consisting of five Italian Church officials, was intended to encourage contributions from ordinary Catholics and other donors, although some insiders questioned their fundraising expertise.
Leo’s order, dated 29 September and issued on Thursday, did not give any specific reason for the dissolution.
The Pope directed that all funds collected be turned over to the Vatican’s General Accounting Office, adding that a new working group would consider a future fundraising commission.
The Vatican reported its first budget surplus last month after years of deficits that have long frustrated church leaders.
Francis, who died in April, had long struggled to get the Vatican’s budget under control.
He faced stiff resistance from his own cardinals in his final months as he sought to close the gap in Vatican finances and cut cardinals’ salaries three times between 2021 and 2024.
Rising liabilities within the Vatican’s pension fund are raising budget concerns, The total was estimated at €631 million by the Vatican’s finance emperor in a 2022 media interview.
There has been no official update on this figure, but multiple insiders told Reuters they believe it has increased.
The Rev. Tom Reese, a Jesuit priest and commentator who has written about Vatican finances, previously said, “Budget problems are going to force the Vatican to do a lot of things it doesn’t want to do.”
The Vatican may have to limit its charitable work or reduce its diplomatic presence in embassies around the world, he said.
“The Pope’s footprint could be severely reduced,” Reese said. “If you can’t pay your bills, you can’t do much.”
The Vatican suffered a significant loss of tourist income during the Covid pandemic. In October 2024, the Pope also said that the Vatican’s extensive multilingual media operations would face a budget cut of at least €40 million.