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Cash-strapped Vatican unveils fundraising video centred on Pope Leo
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
The Vatican released a fundraising video with Pope Leo to address financial struggles, urging donations to Peter's Pence as expenses exceed offerings.
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -The Vatican on Wednesday unveiled a fundraising video centred on newly elected Pope Leo, urging the faithful to support his mission amid a serious financial crisis for the Catholic Church.
The slick one-minute video was shown on giant screens in St. Peter's Square to crowds waiting for the pope's weekly audience, and spread on social media and the internet by Vatican news outlets.
It starts with footage of the white smoke that announced Leo's election on May 8, followed by his first words as pope, "Peace be with you all", and images of cheering crowds, all accompanied by gentle piano music.
The video urges people to donate to Peter's Pence - a papal fund used to support church activities and charity work which, according to latest available records, received 48.4 million euros ($55.66 million) in donations in 2023.
The pope's home nation, the United States, accounted for the biggest share, equal to just over 28% of the total, but expenses far outstripped offerings, with the fund disbursing 103 million euros in the year, the Vatican said.
"With your donation to Peter's Pence, you offer tangible support as the Holy Father takes his first steps as Pope. Help him proclaim the Gospel to the world and extend a hand to our brothers and sisters in need," the video says.
Although the Vatican has not published a full budget report since 2022, the last set of accounts, approved in mid-2024, included an 83-million-euro ($94-million) shortfall, two knowledgeable sources told Reuters.
The shortfall in the pension fund was estimated to total around 631 million euros by the Vatican's finance czar in 2022. There has been no official update to this figure, but several insiders told Reuters they believe it has ballooned.
($1 = 0.8695 euros)
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Yara Nardi, editing by Ed Osmond)
The video aims to encourage donations to Peter's Pence, a papal fund supporting church activities and charity work, amidst the Vatican's financial crisis.
According to the latest records, Peter's Pence received 48.4 million euros ($55.66 million), but expenses exceeded offerings, with 103 million euros disbursed.
The Vatican has reported an 83-million-euro shortfall in its budget and an estimated pension fund shortfall of around 631 million euros.
The video features footage of the white smoke announcing Pope Leo's election, his first words as pope, and images of cheering crowds, all set to gentle music.
The United States accounted for the largest share of donations, contributing just over 28% of the total funds received.
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