Major renovations, infrastructure upgrades and a sluggish global economy left the Vatican City State budget in the red; however, donations to the pope were up from recent years. The 2009 fiscal period marked the third year in a row that Vatican expenses outpaced revenues. The budget of Vatican City State, which includes the Vatican Museums and post office, ended 2009 with a deficit of $9.8 million, the Vatican said in notes on the budgets released July 10. The separate budget of the Holy See, which includes the offices of the Roman Curia, finished 2009 with a registered deficit of more than $5.15 million. The figures were released in early July after a three-day meeting of a council of cardinals charged with reviewing the Vatican budgets. In explaining the city-state's deficit, the council's press statement mentioned that the Vatican Museums had opened new exhibition spaces and had extended visiting hours, which means the payroll grew. Vatican City is also launching a major overhaul of its telecommunications infrastructure in which a high-speed fiber optic network will be installed over some 250 miles.
Major Renovations, Economy Put Vatican in the Red
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández declared that the Vatican will only validate reports of Marian apparitions in “exceptional” cases that incur the special interest of the pope.
A Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, by Father Terrance Klein
The 58-year-old Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça is widely recognized not only as a poet but also as one of the leading intellectuals of the Roman Curia.
The J.D. Vance pick is a reminder for Catholic voters: Neither party deserves our uncritical support
At one time, the presence of Catholics on both major-party tickets would have been cause for celebration. But now Mr. Vance and Mr. Biden reflect the political divisions among U.S. Catholics.