HOW MUCH DOES THE POPE EARN FOR A YEAR

 HOW MUCH DOES POPE EARN

According to marca.com, Pope Francis has in fact never received money from the church, even before he was named as the new pope. In 2001, the Vatican were the ones who confirmed that Pope Francis has always remained true to his Jesuit philosophy. Despite this, the pope does have many assets that come with the job and that can definitely be considered when we are talking about his net-worth.

Marca.com continues that currently, Pope Francis is worth an estimated $16 million due to all the assets he enjoys from his position as the pope of the Catholic Church. He has 5 cars at his disposal, and we can also count his income as part of his net worth. Despite not using any of the money he gets paid, that definitely counts as part of his net worth. 

George Ryan began his article thus: “What does the leader of one of the largest organizations on Earth and shepherd to a flock of over one billion Faithful make in a year? It might surprise you to learn the salary that comes with the responsibility of being the Supreme Pontiff. Citing 1983 Code of Canon Law, canon 281 §1which states thus: Since clerics dedicate themselves to ecclesiastical ministry, they deserve remuneration which is consistent with their condition, taking into account the nature of their function and the conditions of places and times, and by which they can provide for the necessities of their life as well as for the equitable payment of those whose services they need,” George posits that Parish priests are obliged to receive compensation upon ordination, on average around $25,000 to $35,000 a year, as the bishop is responsible to provide for the needs of the clergy in his diocese.

For the Cardinals according to George Ryan, Cardinals can receive compensation on the order of around 5,000 Euros per month, termed the Cardinals plate. The Cardinals plate is designed to pay for their living expenses. 

In the case of Pope, George Ryan posits that it might surprise you to hear that in the case of the Pope, the Holy Father earns no money for his duties.” First, he observed that Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI (when he was alive) lives in retirement in the Vatican with a monthly stipend of 2,500 Euros. Then, for Pope Francis, instead of earning a salary, all living expenses for the pope such as food, travel, and housing are paid for out of Curia funds. 

George Ryan stated it categorically that the pope does receive a traditional honorary payment of three bags containing gold, silver, and copper coins upon their death. Each bag contains one coin for each year of their papacy, and is placed into their coffin  the only monetary compensation one receives for being pope.

In 2001, there was a rumour of the amount of money received by Saint Pope John Paul II as salary. The New York Times reported the response of the Vatican spokesman, Joaquín Navarro-Valls, who ended speculation about the salary of the pope.  Joaquín Navarro-Valls  says that the pope does not and has never received a salary.

Antoine Mekary posits that while Pope Francis does not receive salary, he does, however, have access to a large fund of charitable money that he freely distributes to those in need as he wishes. For example, according to Crux, Pope Francis gave $500,000 from the Peters Pence fund to assist nearly 75,000 people in Mexico. This is just one of many donations that he regularly makes, often in the wake of natural disasters or to areas in particular need due to war, drought, or other calamities. This report was presented by Kenneth Basilio in this form:

In 2019, Pope Francis donated $500,000 to Mexican migrants seeking to reach the US border, BBC reports. All these people were stranded, unable to enter the United States, without a home or livelihood, the office of Peters Pence, Pope Francis charitable fund, said. The Catholic Church hosts thousands of them in the hotels within dioceses or religious congregations, providing basic necessities, from housing to clothing.

Antoine Mekary concludes that the pope is supposed to live after the example of Jesus, who similarly did not have a salary and depended on the generosity of others to provide for his needs during his three-year ministry, as is mentioned in Scripture.”

WHY ARE POPES BURIED WITH THREE BAG OF COINS

I will save myself from the stress of repetition. Below is the full article on this heading by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria.

When a Pope dies, he is placed in three coffins namely: Cypress, Lead and Elm, one inside the other, before being interred. Below explains the reasons.

*The Cypress Coffin*

This is the innermost coffin. It holds the popes body as well as a copy of the eulogy given at the funeral Mass. It also holds three bags of coins: one of silver coins, one of gold, and one of copper. The number of coins in each bag represents the number of years a pope served. The simple wooden coffin made of cypress signifies that the Pope is an ordinary human being like everyone else, and is buried like a common man. The coffin is sealed and wrapped with three silk ribbons before being placed in a lead casket.

*The Lead Coffin*

The lead coffin, which is soldered shut, is engraved with the Popes name and dates of his pontificate, as well as a skull and crossbones. A skull and crossbones or deaths head is a symbol consisting of a human skull and two long bones crossed together under or behind the skull. The design originates in the Late Middle Ages as a symbol of death and especially as an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death found on tombstones. It is usually represented by the term Memento mori (Latin for remember that you [have to]/will die). A reminder to all that we are dust and shall return to dust someday.

The lead coffin is more durable.  Important documents the Pope issued under his seal are also placed in the coffin. The broken seal of office is placed inside the lead coffin by the Camerlengo prior to final closure

*The Elm Coffin*

Finally, the lead casket is placed in an elm coffin which is nailed and shut with golden nails. The elm coffin is used to signify the great dignity of the man being laid to his rest, since elm is the most precious of local woods available in Rome.

Before the coffins are sealed, the bishop who is in charge of the popes official proclamations reads a list of achievements of the pope, and then the parchment that lists the achievements is rolled into a Copper Tube, and placed inside the casket. When each casket is closed, it is wrapped with two cords of violet silk and sealed in wax with the coat of arms of the chamberlain and the Cardinal Dean. Thanks to this ancient custom, many early documents of the Church have been conserved

A SIMPLIFICATION OF THE ARTICLE

In traditional Roman Catholic papal burial rites, the three bags of coins (gold, silver, and copper) placed with the deceased pope signify the number of years he served as pontiff, representing the value and length of his service to the Church. 

The Three Bags: The bags of gold, silver, and copper coins are placed in the innermost cypress coffin, along with a copy of the funeral Mass program. 

Number of Coins: The number of coins in each bag corresponds to the number of years the deceased pope served as the head of the Catholic Church. 

Symbolism: The coins are a symbolic representation of the pope's service and the value of his time as pontiff. 

Tradition: This tradition has been in place for many years, with the number of coins in each bag representing the number of years a pope served. 

New Rites: Pope Francis recently simplified the rites for papal funerals and burials, replacing the three-coffin tradition with a single zinc-lined wooden casket. 

In accordance with traditional rites, in 2023 Pope Benedict XVI was buried with three bags of coins: one for gold, one for silver, and one for copper. Each bag contains a coin for each year the pope was in office.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Antoine Mekary. What is the annual salary of Pope Francis? ALETEIA. Edited by Philip Kosloski - published on 07/24/19. https://aleteia.org/2019/07/24/what-is-the-annual-salary-of-pope-francis February 25 2025

Catholic Secretariat Network Media. Why popes are buried in three coffins. January 6, 2023. https://www.nigeriacatholicnetwork.com/why-popes-are-buried-in-three-coffins/?amp=1 February 25 2025

George, Ryan. How Much Is the Pope Paid for Being the Pope? September 13, 2018. Ucatholic.com/blog/how-much-is-the-pope-paid-for-being-the-pope/ Retrieved 25 February 2025

Kenneth Basilio How Much Is Pope Francis Salary In The Vatican? Oct 20, 2022. https://kennethwrites.medium.com/paul-pierce-net-worth-ex-espn-host-earned-this-much-during-nba-career-56d01929040e. Retrieved February 25 2025

Marca.com. Celebrity Networth. April 4 2023. https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/celebrity-net-worth/2023/04/04/642c58da46163f23198b461d.html February 25 2025

© Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa

February 27 2025