It is one of the most exclusive jobs in the world.
In fact, over the last century or so, very few can claim to have such a high profile job and hold it for the duration of their life. Perhaps only the Queen of England.
Of course I’m talking about the Pope; the bishop of Rome, leader of the worldwide Catholic Church and also the head of state of the Holy See and Vatican City.
Apart from hereditary positions like king or queen, being pope comes with a stringent pre-qualification. You cannot just campaign to be pope like you would to be president. This makes it even more exclusive.
The pope is revered around the world, attracting crowds of hundreds of thousands or even millions wherever he goes. Presidents and head of states kiss his rings, but the only real power he has is spiritual.
Yes we know that the Catholic church is very rich. The art and architecture at the Vatican alone is priceless.
However, how rich is the man overseeing all that?
What is the Pope’s salary?
Well, you will be pleased to learn that the Pope does not receive a single cent from church coffers. This was made clear in 2001 during the papacy of St. John Paul II, by Vatican spokesperson Joaquín Navarro-Valls.
‘The pope does not and has never received a salary,’” he said.
Does that however mean the Pope lives a life of misery?
The opposite is true. Vatican is full of opulence and the head of the church has access to as much resources as he can possibly need. Not to mention that his living, food, travel and medical arrangements are all taken care of by the state.
Of course the life a Pope chooses to live is purely up to them. Pope Francis is well known for his poverty vow, and he can be expected to be living a simple life inside the Vatican walls.
