Overview
- Leo formally suppressed the commission in a decree dated Sept. 29 and published Dec. 4 that provided no reason for the move.
- He abrogated its statutes, dismissed its members, and tasked the patrimony office with overseeing the wind‑down.
- Any money already raised is to be transferred to the Vatican’s general accounting office, and a papally approved working group will propose a new fundraising structure.
- The decision unwinds one of Francis’s final initiatives, created during his final illness after years of fiscal tightening that included cuts to cardinals’ pay.
- The Vatican recently reported its first budget surplus after years of deficits, yet concerns persist about fundraising capacity and pension liabilities last estimated around €631 million in 2022.