Pope Francis Net Worth: How Much Does The Christian Head Earn?

Only recently did Pope Francis of the Vatican state how the greatest wealth of all time is – Jesus. He also confirmed that his immense power or wealth of the Vatican did not excite him. It is only his service to God that matters. Though some have lauded his words on social media, a section of the audience has pin-pointed Pope Francis net worth – which supposedly stands at $16 million.

Given that religion is a touchy issue and the religious head of the Christian world is at the helm of this dispute, let’s try busting the myths associated with his monetary value and the sources of the same.

What is Pope Francis net worth?

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Though there have been multiple questionings and cross-questionings on the same, the Catholic Church has been stringent about revealing the details. From what can be established via different sources, the Pope’s net worth is supposedly $16 million. The primary sources of his income include the proceeds from the Church’s property dealings as well as his papal salary.

This value, however, has not sat well with many who have gone ahead and questioned the amount (since some websites claim it to be $100 million, while others claim it to be as meagre as $2 million). TheRichNetWorth website, however, categorically states that the value is at $16 million – as per data received from multiple domains.

What are the sources of his income?

Before you figure out the sources of his income, do you know that the amount that is mentioned above is not part of the Pope’s personal fund? Let’s make it a bit clearer. Though he has a net worth of $16 million in earnings and assets, he does not keep the money for himself. He has started an organization within the Church itself that keeps track of his ‘so-called earnings.’

If you now wish to know about the financial attributes associated with Pope Francis net worth, then there are only a handful. The sources of his income are –

The value of the Vatican church

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As per the law, the assets belonging to the Christian Church are also, as a whole, taken to be the Pope’s assets. Though the Vatican has been extremely dicey while revealing the details of its asset’s value, one can assume that the amount runs up into billions.

What you must note is – almost 40% of the property owned by the Vatican are institutional buildings such as – hospitals, convents and multiple learning facilities. Most of them are in prime locations all over Italy, Paris, London, Geneva and Lausanne.

Despite it all, there’s a point to remember: the assets officially are taken to belong to the Pope, but he technically has no ‘right’ over it. These assets cannot be used to further his personal monetary value, especially since he has taken the unbreakable vow of poverty.

His papal salary

Though the Pope does not earn a salary, he is entitled to get $400,000 annually from the Vatican Church regarding the services tendered. However, respecting the vow of poverty that he has made, he does not withdraw that amount and sends off the proceeds to the Church for extended philanthropic efforts.

Amount of his earnings from social media profiles

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Unlike other religious heads, Pope Francis is quite active on social media, with a host of followers on Twitter. Though he does not promote sponsored content on any of his social media handles, he does receive many remunerations and financial contributions, which he forwards to the Church as part of his extended philanthropic efforts.

Does the Pope have any investment?

Given that he is the head of the Vatican Church and of all the Christians globally, he is technically not supposed to make any financial investment. Also, very early in his career, he had taken the vow of poverty forbidding him from making any investment.

Does he own a car?

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There is no document available of the Pope owning a personal vehicle. For conveyance, he uses a car registered under the Vatican Church. Supposedly, he uses 5 cars for travelling within the country.

Has he invested in any real estate?

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No specific detail is available regarding the Pope’s residence or any real estate attributed to him. From what little information has been gathered, Pope lives in his apartment. But neither the Church nor the media have been able to confirm the ownership of that residence.

Though the Vatican has properties worldwide, whether any of them propels the metrics of Pope Francis net worth higher is a matter of doubt.

What are his charitable endeavours?

Image Credit: Vatican News

As part of the religious world, the Pope is engaged officially in a number of charitable ventures. However, they, being part of the organization, are funded by the Church itself and do not come within the personal domain of the Pope.

It is worth noting here that, in terms of extensive contribution, the Pope earns remuneration for extending his services to the Church, as well as donations and remuneration from his social media profiles.

However, the Church, under specified restrictions, has not revealed that specific amount. But one may assume, given his stature, it is a handsome one.

Surprisingly, none of these earnings are added to the already present $16 million, which is officially Pope Francis net worth – but rather extended by the Pope himself into the Church’s fund for philanthropic activities.

A quickie about his personal life

Image Credit: ChurchPop

Though today, the world sees him as the Christian head of the world who wields immense power, life was not always like this for the current Pope. He was born in a modest household in Argentina and attended technical schools there. After passing out, he worked in multiple sections, such as – a bar bouncer, a janitor and in the food section of the Hickethier Bachmann Labs. In fact, when he was just a mere 21 years of age, he suffered from multiple cysts and a life-threatening bout of pneumonia.

It was much later in his life that he received a calling from God into this path of priesthood – and after many hurdles has reached this position. Hence, for those doubting and negatively questioning Pope Francis net worth, there’s one thing to remember that – he is a man of integrity and makes every initiative possible to stand true to his vow of poverty.

Facts you don’t know about him

Here is a quick fact check about Pope Francis you might not be aware of –

Last thoughts

The Pope has been in the eye of the storm multiple times due to his stance on certain issues, and otherwise courtesy of his position. However, it is worth noting that though people may have an idea that the metrics of Pope Francis net worth would be humongous and he would live a life nothing short of royalty, there’s no truth in that. What is notable is his pure heart and the vow of poverty that he has taken to live in diminished conditions and serve humanity – that is of ultimate concern. A Bloomberg report also states that – unlike his predecessors, the current Pope is far from the razzmatazz of luxurious life and rather prefers to live a modest life.

Did you like this info about the ‘truth’ behind the veils of the Vatican? Would you like to know more information like this? Then keep following this page and leave your comments below.

FAQ

1. Why is Pope Francis net worth so dicey to calculate?

As an aware reader, you must remember that Pope Francis’s net worth is part of the Vatican Church’s accumulated wealth. Therefore, deducting the concerned portion and then detailing the Pope’s personal financial statistics is difficult. Having said that, though his monetary value boasts of $16 million, he has taken a vow of poverty that forbids him from using any of it for personal gains.

2. Can you compare it with other religious leaders?

At a personal level, the Pope’s worth is quite modest compared to other religious leaders. However, it is technically quite an amount when concerned at a larger context.

3. How has he addressed the Church’s concern about sexual abuse?

The Pope has taken a strong stance in regard to the Church’s concern about its past issues associated with sexual abuse. He has condemned it multiple times and ensured that under his guidance, such issues will never be repeated.

4. How is his way of addressing wealth different from others?

Compared to other religious heads, the Pope has vehemently stood his ground in humility and serving the poor. For the unversed, he has taken a vow of poverty that makes him duty-bound to serve the poor, which he does with utmost humility.

About The Author

MonalisaMukherjee

Monalisa Mukherjee is a content writer, copywriter and editor with 4 years of experience. She has written for websites like Biography Talk, The Rich Net Worth, Contour Cafe, He And She Fitness and Fiction Pad. She is currently associated with a noted Digital Marketing Agency and specialises in writing press release, guest posts, articles on travel, entertainment, food recipes, celebs, lifestyle, tech, health, and fashion.

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