Pope Leo Dissolves Vatican Donation Commission Established by Predecessor Francis

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo has officially disbanded the "Commission on Donations for the Holy See," a high-level Vatican body created by his predecessor, Pope Francis, to promote financial contributions to the Holy See. The decision, made in a decree dated September 29 and announced on Thursday, reverses one of Francis's last significant initiatives.

Established in February during Francis’s final hospitalization, the commission aimed to address the Vatican’s persistent financial shortfalls by soliciting donations from lay Catholics, episcopal conferences, and other benefactors. However, the commission comprised five Italian Church officials whose fundraising experience was questioned by insiders.

No explanation was provided by Pope Leo for dissolving the commission. The decree instructed that all funds raised by the body be transferred to the Vatican's general accounting office. Furthermore, the pope indicated plans to set up a new working group tasked with evaluating the future of Vatican fundraising efforts.

This move follows the Vatican reporting its first budget surplus last month after years of operating deficits that had long vexed Church authorities. Pope Francis struggled during his pontificate to stabilize the Vatican’s finances, encountering resistance even among the cardinals. Between 2021 and 2024, he reduced cardinals’ salaries three times in efforts to narrow the budget gap.

Pope Francis, who passed away in April, had made financial reform a priority, but faced considerable institutional pushback in his attempts to implement lasting change. Pope Leo’s latest decision signals a re-evaluation of strategies to secure financial stability for the Vatican going forward.