A Quiet Reversal? Vatican Housing Policy and the Limits of Journalistic Confirmation
Recent reports from Rome suggest that Pope Leo XIV may have repealed a controversial administrative rescript issued in February 2023 under Pope Francis, which removed free or subsidised Vatican housing from cardinals and senior officials of the Roman Curia. If formally promulgated, such a repeal would constitute one of the first concrete administrative reversals of the previous pontificate. At present, however, the claim rests on journalistic reporting rather than on any officially published act of the Holy See.
On 13 February 2023, Pope Francis issued a rescript abolishing the long-standing practice by which cardinals, heads of dicasteries, presidents, and serving secretaries could occupy properties owned by the Holy See either free of charge or on favourable terms. The measure required Vatican entities to apply ordinary market rents, permitting exemptions only by direct papal authorisation, and was justified as an “extraordinary sacrifice” in light of the Holy See’s growing financial commitments.¹
The rescript was not promulgated through the Acta Apostolicae Sedis or announced via the Holy See’s daily bulletin, but was instead posted internally within Vatican City. This unusual method of promulgation attracted criticism from observers concerned about transparency and legal form.² The policy was also non-retroactive, resulting in unequal application: officials appointed before its entry into force often remained under earlier arrangements, while those appointed afterwards were subject to full market rents.³
Among those reportedly affected was Cardinal Raymond Burke, who, according to multiple journalistic accounts, was required to pay more than three times his previous rent, even after his pension had earlier been revoked.⁴ Then-Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is likewise reported to have paid full rent for his residence on Via di Porta Angelica for nearly two years following his appointment to the Curia, a situation some commentators viewed as emblematic of the inequities produced by the rescript’s structure.⁵
In late January and early February 2026, Italian Vatican journalist Nico Spuntoni reported that Pope Leo XIV has now repealed the 2023 rescript, restoring the possibility for cardinals and senior curial officials to benefit once more from free or subsidised housing belonging to the Holy See.⁶ This reporting has been relayed in English by several Catholic commentators, most prominently via Diane Montagna’s Substack, and is presented as reflecting the Pope’s concern for his collaborators and a desire to correct what many regarded as a “pauperist” policy.⁷
Nevertheless, an essential reservation must be stated. As of this writing, no text repealing the 2023 rescript has been published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, announced by the Holy See Press Office, or released via Vatican News. No decree, rescript, or motu proprio has been formally promulgated or made publicly accessible. The alleged repeal therefore remains, at present, a matter of journalistic testimony rather than established canonical fact.⁸
This distinction is not trivial. In the governance of the Roman Curia, legal acts derive their authority not from circulation or expectation but from formal promulgation. The controversy surrounding the 2023 rescript itself—its method of publication, selective application, and uneven consequences—only underscores the importance of clarity, publicity, and juridical certainty in such matters.
Symbolically, the reports are nonetheless suggestive. They align with other early signals attributed to Pope Leo XIV, including a return to the Apostolic Palace and an apparent emphasis on institutional normalisation after a period of highly personalised governance. Should the repeal be formally confirmed, its text and rationale will merit close scrutiny as an early indicator of this pontificate’s approach to law, equity, and Curial governance.
For now, Nuntiatoria records the report with measured restraint. The 2023 housing rescript is an established historical fact. Its repeal, while plausible and widely reported, remains unverified in law. Until an official text is promulgated, the distinction between credible journalism and authoritative ecclesiastical act must be carefully maintained.
¹ Aleteia, “Pope Eliminates Special Housing Benefits for Roman Curia Officials,” 1 March 2023.
² Diane Montagna, Substack, reporting on the internal posting and lack of public promulgation of the 13 February 2023 rescript.
³ Aleteia, ibid.; reporting on the non-retroactive application of the housing policy.
⁴ Diane Montagna, Substack; corroborated by secondary Catholic media reporting on Cardinal Burke’s housing situation following the 2023 rescript.
⁵ Diane Montagna, Substack, reporting on Cardinal Prevost’s residence and rental obligations under the 2023 policy.
⁶ Nico Spuntoni, Il Giornale, January–February 2026, reporting on an alleged repeal of the 2023 rescript by Pope Leo XIV.
⁷ Diane Montagna, Substack, English-language relay and commentary on Spuntoni’s reporting.
⁸ Absence of any repeal text in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Holy See Press Office releases, or Vatican News as of 1 February 2026.
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