The leader of the Roman Catholic Church does not get paid what many consider a traditional salary. Instead, the Vatican provides for the pontiff’s needs, from housing, food, transportation and other expenses in the form of stipends and allowances.

The Vatican, referred to as “the world’s smallest country,” is sustained by “an economy that relies on a combination of donations, private enterprises, and investments to generate revenue,” according to Investopedia.  

Pope Francis declined any sort of salary when he took office in 2013, The Economic Times reported back in February, adding that the pontiff at the time had a net worth of “around $16 million, which includes various assets provided to him as the pope.”

The Vatican’s financial situation has been in peril for years, with its annual operating deficit growing to over $90 million in 2023, according to reports. In November, Pope Francis warned that the Vatican’s pension fund — which provides pensions to employees of the Holy See and Vatican City State — has been facing a “severe prospective imbalance” that “tends to grow over time in the absence of interventions,” according to the Vatican News.

Rosary beads depicting Pope Francis were offered for one euro on March 17, 2025, in Vatican City, Vatican.  (Christopher Furlong)

A young visitor of a Catholic Church service donates money into a basket handed around in Bavaria, Kaufbeuren, in July 2019.  ( Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/picture alliance)

Fox News Digital reached out to the Vatican and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for more information about how the pope gets paid, but did not immediately hear back.