Church state
Pope Leo XIV brings “concrete bonus” back
It is a financial greeting from the new Pope: after the conclave, he sends a message of appreciation to the Vatican employees.
The new Pope Leo XIV has revived an old Vatican tradition and granted employees a bonus of 500 euros to choose the new Pontifex. The so-called concrete premium was abolished under Pope Francis in 2013.
According to the Italian news agency Ansa, the special payment on Friday was decided, shortly before the first official audience of the new Pope with the Roman Curia and the employees. The bonus should be a thank you for the work during the Sedis vacancy (time of the unoccupied chair).
The return to the bonus payment should be well received by the more than 4,000 employees of the Holy Stuhl and the Vatican state. During Francis’ pontificate, the church state had to implement numerous austerity measures due to persistent budget deficits – including salary cuts for cardinals. A job there is still attractive – the employees do not pay income tax.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
