Pope Francis, the 266th occupant of the papacy, died after a prolonged illness, at his home in Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican, at the age of 88 years. He was recovering from double pneumonia. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, with Roman Catholics believing that he represents a direct line back to Jesus Christ. The Pope is considered the spiritual successor to St Peter, one of Christ’s key apostles.
Moreover, the Pope is an important source of authority for roughly 1.4 billion Catholics in the world. About half of the world’s Christians are Roman Catholics. However, others, such as Protestants and Orthodox Christians, do not believe in the Pope’s authority. The Pope lives in the Vatican City, the world’s smallest independent state, which is surrounded by Rome, Italy. Interestingly, out of the 266 popes chosen to date, 217 have been from Italy.
Pope Francis was leading the Catholic Church for 12 years. Pope Francis was often praised for living a modest and uncomplicated life.
The modest Pope Francis never took a salary, despite being entitled to get one. According to a report by Marca, the position of Pope is entitled to get a monthly salary of around $32,000. However, Pope Francis refused to accept this compensation, donating the sum to a foundation, placed it in a trust, or disbursed it to family members. Moreover, all travel costs and living expenses of the Pope are paid by the Vatican.
Net Worth And Other Details
According to the Marca, Pope Francis’ net worth is estimated at $16 million. The majority of his net worth is based on the resources and perks of the office, including an official residence, cars, and international travel. However, he never accepted funds from the Church before becoming pope, as per his Jesuit principles.
According to media reports, the Vatican Catholic Church has one of the greatest wealth in the world, which includes $35 billion in cash, a $17 billion art collection, and significant holdings in stocks, gold, jewellery, and valuable royal gowns.
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