Pope Francis imposes austerity, Vatican officials complain of socialism
Getty Images/Franco Origlia
Just over a year into his reign as the Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis has gained a reputation as a generous soul. But Vatican officials increasingly fear the budget cuts and austerity measures he is imposing on day-to-day operations. Last month, the Vatican's Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin informed all department heads of an immediate freeze on new hires, wage increases, and overtime. Expensive management consultants have been hired to advise the restructuring.
Not all the officials are happy with the austerity measures. From the U.K.'s Catholic Herald:
The union of Vatican workers is relatively powerless to stop the cuts. And employees are being assured that changes to their status will be handled with care. The Church's mission is one of reconciliation. As head of state, Pope Francis seems to be reconciling the "socialistic" distaste of money power with a parsimonious form of austerity.
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Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.
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