Pope Celebrates 71st Birthday, Vatican Employees Receive Surprise Gift

Pope Leo XIV marks his 71st birthday with a gesture for Vatican staff, reversing salary cuts and announcing new archive plans.

Editorial Desk

September 14, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Vatican City — Pope Leo XIV celebrated his 71st birthday on Monday, but the gift went to Vatican employees rather than the pontiff himself.

The Vatican announced a decree revoking salary cuts imposed by Pope Francis in 2021 as part of cost-saving measures during the pandemic. The cuts affected cardinals, senior clergy, and lay staff, with some facing reductions of up to 10%. The move was welcomed by many who had criticized the financial adjustments.

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In addition to the salary reversal, Pope Leo also canceled plans to relocate parts of the Vatican’s secret archives and library holdings to a university across town. Instead, he ordered the construction of a new building within Vatican City to house these historical collections. The pope also visited the Vatican Apostolic Library, where he expressed gratitude to the staff, noting that his mother had been a librarian.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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