The new pope will be a bit of a banker. He must organize the Vatican's finances

On Wednesday, the Vatican finances were the main topic of the Seventh Congregation for Cardinals, i.e. a meeting convened during the period of vacancies in the Holy See. The poor state of finance is one of the biggest challenges, which the new Pope will be elected to the conclave starting on May 7.

Over 80 million euros in the budget, an increase in expenditure on retirement – this is the state of finances that the Vatican informed in 2024.

181 cardinals from around the world took part in the Wednesday congregation; Among them 124 electors. This in turn means that almost all of the conclave participants have already arrived. 133 cardinals will take part in it.

Director of the Press Office of the Holy See Matteo Bruni announced that the financial and economic situation was the subject of the speech of the Church managing during the vacancy (Sede Vacante) Camerling Cardinal Kevin Farrel, as well as coordinator of the Council for Economics for Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Cardinal Christopha Schoenborn, Cardinal Fernando Vergez, Cardinal Alsagi – a former governor of the Vatican State and papal almuscan Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.

Cardinal Schoenborn as the chairman of the supervision committee over the Vatican Bank Ior spoke about his activities and the current situation. Cardinal Krajewski presented the activity of the dycakaster dycara for the ministry of mercy.

Then 14 more cardinals spoke, who raised such topics as problems arising from polarization inside the church and divisions in societies, synodality, priestly vocations, evangelization.

The next congregation will take place on Friday.

The French Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the metropolitan of Algier, told the daily “La Repubblica” on Wednesday that in his opinion the conclave would not last long.

“This is the intuition I had before coming to Rome. I have the impression that clear candidates will emerge. There are differences in sensitivity among cardinals, but not opposite positions” – he said.

Cardinal Vesco noted: “I am aware that we will not have a new Franciszek. I have the impression that we will have a consensus man. Franciszek shook the church very much, and now the institution needs peace.”

From the Vatican Sylwia Wysocka (PAP)

SW/ AP/