Full Breakdown
Pope Leo XIV Celebrates 71st Birthday with Salary Restoration and Library Expansion
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 14 2026, Pope Leo XIV marked his 71st birthday by issuing two papal decrees. The first repealed the salary reductions imposed in March 2021, and the second authorized construction of a new building within Vatican City to house the growing collections of the Apostolic Library and Archives. The pope also inaugurated the “AQVA – Catastrophe and Wonder” exhibition, which will remain on view through May 14 2027.
Background & Context
In March 2021, Pope Francis cut salaries of cardinals (10 %), senior officials (8 %) and clergy, religious and lay staff (3 %) amid a pandemic-driven budget deficit. Pope Leo XIV, noting an improved fiscal situation, consulted the Secretariat for the Economy and decided to restore full salaries, stating that the emergency measures “can now be overcome.”
Data & Statistics
- Salary cuts in 2021: 10 % for cardinals, 8 % for senior officials, 3 % for clergy and religious.
- The Apostolic Library holds approximately 2 million books, 100 000 archival documents, and hundreds of thousands of coins, medals and graphic works.
- The new library-archive building will be erected on the site currently used for service-vehicle parking within Vatican City.
Official Statements & Responses
Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, head of the Library and Archives, highlighted the exhibition’s theme, noting it demonstrates how “generations are intertwined” and underscores the Vatican’s cultural openness.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It’s a coincidence, but perhaps providential, that this servant was born precisely on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,” — Pope Leo
- “This exhibition, among other things, precisely by putting together a centuries-old library and contemporary artists, says exactly this: Generations are intertwined.” — Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi
What’s Next
The decree orders that the new library-archive building be constructed on the former parking lot, with fundraising managed by a Vatican foundation. Current overflow storage at the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary will remain in use until the new facility is completed; no specific completion date has been announced. The “AQVA – Catastrophe and Wonder” exhibition will be open to the public from later in September 2026 through May 14 2027.