Pope Francis’ surprising net worth, and why he turned down this eye-watering salary

Pope Francis passed away on Monday aged 88, just hours after delivering an Easter Mass at the Vatican in Rome for Easter Sunday. He sadly died from a cerebral stroke which caused heart failure, and his funeral is taking place on Saturday (26th April).

After leading the Catholic Church for 12 years, you’d expect him to be leaving behind a massive net worth. However, the reality is actually quite the opposite – and Francis turned down an eye-watering six-figure annual salary too.

Pope Francis has a shocking net worth

As revealed by Celebrity Net Worth, Pope Francis had a net worth of just $100 at the time of his death despite being one of the world’s most famous people. That’s because he doesn’t technically own any assets, as they are all owned by the Catholic Church.

The entire Vatican City is owned by the Holy See, which is the government of the Catholic Church, and the pope is its leader. Since the Lateran Treaty was signed in 1929, the Holy See has had “full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction” over the Vatican City.

Pope Francis lived in the Vatican and had full control over various Catholic assets, using them to support the Church’s various ministries and programs. However, he had no personal money, income or possessions apart from the clothes he wore.

Credit: WILLY KURNIAWAN/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

He turned down an eye-watering salary

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Popes are actually allowed to take an annual salary, but Francis turned his down, which is another reason his net worth is next to nothing. He was entitled to a whopping £290,000 annual sum, which is granted to the papal office by the Catholic Church.

However, Francis refused to be paid ever since he was elected as Pope in 2013. He made this personal decision because he’s a Jesuit, a specific order of Roman Catholic priests who swear vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to Christ. Francis was the first ever Jesuit pope.

That’s a total of almost £3.5 million that he turned down over his 12 years in office. The 88-year-old could choose to put the huge sum into a trust or foundation, donate it back to the church or pass it on to a family member each year instead.

The Pope lived a very modest life

He lived a very simple life, always choosing the cheaper and more modest options during his time as Pope.

For example, he chose to live in the smallest room in the Vatican, the suite within the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse, instead of the grand Papal Palace.

Plus, he ate his meals in the communal dining room and even chose to wear a gold-plated silver ring instead of a more expensive gold one.

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Featured image by: WILLY KURNIAWAN/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock