Pope Francis has abolished free or cheap houses for cardinals and leaders in Rome and the Vatican

He dad francisco arranged the elimination of free or cheap rents houses belonging to Holy See to cardinals, bishops and other top Vatican leaders, according to some Italian media today.

The pope’s decision came after an audience with the new prefect (minister) of the Ministry of Economy, the Spaniard Maximino Caballero on February 13, in which he asked “that more important means be allocated and reserved for the Apostolic See, also increasing the income from the management of real estate assets”, reads the document published by the website Messainlatino.it. and which circulates internally in Vatican.

The pope has thus decided “to abolish the free and advantageous accommodation of cardinals, heads of departments, presidents, secretaries, under-secretaries, executives, auditors, etc. Tribunal of Rome broken, buildings belonging to curial institutions and bodies that refer to the Holy See,” the document reads.

“The owners (of real estate) must apply to the aforementioned subjects the same prices applicable to those who do not have a seat in the Holy See or in the Vatican City State“, indicates the document.

It also specifies the need to pay, according to the rates in force, the accommodation in the “Domus Santa Marta», the residence inside the Vatican where the pope lives and which many prelates, but also visitors, use as a hotel sometimes without paying.

The document specifies that the contracts currently stipulated will continue until their expiration, then the new rents will be applied.

Likewise, the pope has established that any derogation from this regulation must be directly authorized by him.

Also in the document, the pope removes the “housing contributions”, supplements which are paid to meet the rent.

The real estate assets of the Holy See managed by APSA in Italy consist of 4,051 properties in Italy and some 1,120 abroad, not counting its embassies around the world.

In Italy it is about 1.6 million square meters and only 15% is for the free market, 30% in subsidized rentals for employees, pensioners and other forms of assistance and the 55% remaining for institutional purposes or in any other way. on a free loan basis, such as schools or universities.

(With information from EFE)

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