Thousands of faithful go to the Plaza de San Pedro from this Wednesday to Follow the choice of Pope Francis’s successor. The Vatican, without giving details of this, assumes the expenses of the ceremoniesand the Italian state is responsible for security costs.
In 2005, the funerals of Pope John Paul II and the choice of his successor, Benedict XVI, They cost him 7 million euros (nearly US $ 8 million to the current change) to the Vatican coffers, according to a balance published by the Holy See.
But the Vatican does not inform with the same transparency about his accounts every year, although it is known that the deficit of these is increasing.
After the resignation of Benedict XVI in 2013, the Holy See He did not detail how much the conclave cost that led to Francisco’s choice. Just said that year had a deficit of 24 million euros (about 27 million dollars to the current change).
More than 11 thousand security agents
But Gianni Alemanno, then mayor of Rome, asked the State to help the municipality and estimated 4.5 million euros (US $ 5.1 million) The expenses related to transport and security, both in Rome and in the Vatican.
From Lateran agreements, signed in 1929 by the Vatican and Italy, The Italian police and the Vatican gendarmerie are responsible for ensuring security in the immediate vatican and in the Plaza de San Pedro, where the name of what will be the successor of Francisco will be announced.
At the moment, the total cost for the Italian state was not “encrypted”, the Minister of Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, said, who nevertheless said that “A measure was already adopted for the first five million euros.”
The Government recalled that in 2005, 11 thousand 900 security agents, one thousand firefighters and 5,000 officials They worked within the framework of the funeral and conclave.
However, the city of Rome and the hotel sector can expect benefits: according to the Codacons consumer protection association, “prices in Rome” of hotels and Accommodations reached “stratospheric levels” during Francisco’s funeral, between 200 and 2 thousand euros (US $ 230 and US $ 2,300) By room in establishments near the Vatican, while in general they range between 170 and 780 euros (between US $ 193 and US $ 885).
Chronic deficit
The Holy See did not give information about the costs of the conclave that began on Wednesday, and its spokesman, Matteo Bruni, He just remembered that there will be no advertising “sponsor”.
For the occasion, the cardinals and their assistants were coming from everyone, give them accommodation, food, laundry service; and prepare the Sistine chapel for the conclave and the Plaza de San Pedro, both for Francisco’s funeral as for the future proclamation of the new Pope.
A set of measures that will further include the finances of the Holy See, whose central government (the curia) had a deficit of about 30 million euros (US $ 34 million to the current exchange) In 2022, for income of 769 million euros (US $ 872 million)according to the Vatican.
With the idea of putting order in Vatican finances and fighting fraud, Pope Francis created in 2014 the powerful secretariat for the economy. The agency assumed the task of selling parts of the immense heritage of the Vatican every year, with The goal of collecting between “20 and 25 million euros” Annual, according to 2022 his prefect, the Spanish priest Juan Antonio Guerrero.
But the microstate continues suffering the fall in donations of the faithful and by financial investments of uncertain yield.