The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-05-24
LEO'S INCOME AND EXPENSES.

Watchful Economy Necessary Because of
the Continual Decrease in Revenues.
Since the heavy losses made by the
Pope a year or more ago the finances
Of the vatican have been superin-
tended with great care. 1t is known,
says a Paris paper, that a committee
OF prelateS and several cardinals eX-
lists at Rome, whose duty it is to reg
ulate the use of the sums of money
which flow into the treasury of the
vatican. These sums come princi-
pally from two sources: The revenues
of the property possessed by the Pope,
and the gifts Of the faithful, known
as Peters pense. The property of
the vatican is of various kinds, but
the greater part of it consists OF
money or bonds, placed in England
and France, under the control of the
Paris house, of R%othschild. Peters
pence is an annual revenue which is
far from being fixed. lr good years
the total of the sum received from all
countries of the world reaches 8, GO0.-
900 francs. Sometimes it is as low
as &, 900, 900. and even 1000, OOo.
This has been The case for the last
five years. This diminution is due,
in great part, to the discord between
the ROyalists and the French Catho-
lies, produced by the republican pol
icy of the Pope. France alone fur
nished two-thirds and often three
quarters of Peters pence. And in
France it is the ROyalists who prove
fhnnlsn1ync mast D,<
since the adhesion of Leo XIII. to
the republic many OF them, more
Royalists than Catholic, have closed
their purses to the Pope. However,
despite all this, French bishops still
forward the largest sums to his holi-
ness. Thus, the bishop OF Mantle,
sent a few days ago 100, 600 francs
from his flock as their gift to the
vitican treasury.
Italy contributes only a small part
OF the revenue-l00. 900 francs d year.
The Romans show themselves in this
regard less generous than other ltal-
ians. On the other hand, the Anglo
Saxon countrics-England, ireland,
Australia, and the United States
begin to send important sums. If
Catholicism continues to grow in
these countries, it is easy to see that
in time the vat can will draw cOnSid-
cradle sums from them. Again,
there are the royal courts, such as
that of Austria, which send annually
rich presents to the Pope. This is
wen true Of the princes of old Ital-
ian families. Francis ii. eX-King of
Naples, and Maria Theresa, formerly
Grand Duchess ofTuscany, never fail
to send their offerings, which consist
OF several thousands of francs; the
COmte de ChambOrd was accustomed
to give annually so, 600 francs; the
Count of Paris sends the same sum.
The expenses of the vatican amount
annually to more than :, 900, 900. They
are regulated as follows: For the
personal wants Of the Pope, 500, 900:
for the cardinals, 700, OOJ; for poor
d%ioceses, 400, 600: administration OF
the vatican, 1900, 900: secretary of
state, 1000, 900: employees and able
gates, 1000, 900; support of schools
and poor. l.200, 600. The cardinals
at Rome live at the expense of the
Pope. The income of each from this
source is at least %, 900 francs. The
secretary of state is charged with up
holding relations with foreign gov
ernments by the mediation of nun
clos. The four most important
Paris, Vienna, Madrid, and Lisbon
each receive an allowance of 60, 600
francs n year. The last jubilee of
Pope Leo NH. brought the vatican
3 5000, 600 francs. At the first, cele-
brated five years ago, -, 900, 600
francs were received. In the course
of years the Pope las introduced a
number Of economies in the different
branches of the vatican service, and
for that reason he has been called
misery. The accusation is not mer-
tied; the economies became necessary
in a state whose expenses are cOnSid-
cradle, and whose revenues continue
to diminish. Leo NH. has many
reasons to follow the example of his
illustrious predecessor, Sixtus, as il
is difficult at the present time to
count on the generosity Aof the faith
full.
$1,000