Pope announces a "baby bonus" for families who work for the Vatican City State

 

Pope offers ‘baby bonus’ to Vatican employees

By Elise Ann Allen

Pope Francis greets a child after he baptized him during Mass in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Jan. 12, 2025, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. (Credit: Vatican Media.)

ROME – Pope Francis put his money where his mouth is this week when it comes to his constant appeals for couples to procreate, offering a financial incentive to permanent Vatican employees who have more children.

In a Jan. 15 communique from the Governorate of Vatican City State, it was announced that as of Jan. 1, 2025, families who have three or more children will receive a bonus of 300 euros ($308) a month.

“This is what the Pope decided for permanent employees of the Governorate,” the statement said.

The bonus, it said, is granted up until the children turn 18, or until their ordinary course of studies concludes, as long as the couple can provide the necessary documents or certificates of enrollment from secondary schools and universities.

In either case, the bonus will extend up to the age of 24, the communique said, but “no later.”

Pope Francis also expanded parental leave for Vatican employees who either have their own children, who adopt, or those who are fostering children.

Whereas in the past paid parental leave for fathers in these cases was only three days, the pope has extended this leave for fathers to five days in the event of the birth of a child, the adoption of a child, or the entrance of a foster child into the home.

Observers and employees have long complained about the Vatican’s limited paternity leave, and while the extension from three to five days is considered a step in the right direction, there will undoubtedly still be discontent among those who feel the leave should be more generous.

According to the Vatican’s communique, these changes are “a personal initiative of the Holy Father,” and was conveyed to the president of the Governorate, Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, and to the secretary general, Sister Raffaella Petrini, in a Dec. 19 audience.

On that occasion, the pope, the communique said, gave the order to “proceed immediately” in setting the wheels for the change in motion.

For years Italy has had a staggeringly low birth rate that some have declared as a national emergency – it is the oldest country in Europe, with the average age in 2024 being 48, and the birth rate in 2024 sitting somewhere between 1.2 and 1.3.

The Italian government has led various fertility campaigns in a bid to encourage couples to have more children, however, many citizens have complained that troubles in the economy and the lack of affordable resources available to parents in terms of childcare make it difficult to have more children while also maintaining jobs that can support a growing household.

With much of Europe following the same trend, leaders everywhere are increasingly concerned about the steady population decline and potential implications for the future.

This has been such a concern for Pope Francis that in many of major public speeches and in all of his recent travels, he has spoken of problems surrounding birth rates and praised couples with large families, making consistent appeals for couples to have more children.

He applauded the number of young people he saw during his tour of Asia last September, praising East Timor, where those under 18 make up almost half of the population, and calling on countries like Singapore to have more children.

This appeal for couples to grow their families was repeated by the pontiff during his Dec. 15 day trip to Ajaccio, in Corsica, lauding the number of youth present at his final Mass.

In the past, the pope has also made the controversial appeal for Italians to welcome more migrants into their communities to compensate for the lack of children.

Pope Francis in recent months has also ordered pay cuts to cardinals and higher-ups in the Roman Curia in a bid to counteract the Vatican’s financial deficit and its growing pension crisis, however, it appears that he has also decided to use some of the savings to reward employees who choose to have larger families.

While pension obligations to retiring employees and curial officials remains a looming problem the Vatican will have to face sooner or later, for now, the pope seems content to let that be, and to put his money where his mouth is, so to speak, when it comes to urging couples to have more children.

Day 2 of the Novena for Life

 

en español

If you or someone you know is suffering from participation in abortion, confidential, compassionate help is available. Visit hopeafterabortion.org.

INTERCESSION May each person suffering from participation in abortion find forgiveness, hope, and healing in Christ.

PRAYERS Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, Glory Be

REFLECTION Countless children’s lives have been ended by abortion, and countless parents and family members suffer guilt, grief, and regret—often in silence. Yet God’s greatest desire is to forgive. No matter how far we have each strayed from His side, He says to us, “Don’t be afraid. Draw close to my heart.” Be assured that it is never too late to seek God's forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Consider the parable of the Prodigal Son. After repenting of sinning against his father, he returns from far away to seek forgiveness and work as a servant. But his father sees him approaching, runs to warmly embrace him, and hosts a banquet to celebrate his return. So, too, does God welcome all His children who come to Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation with contrite hearts, no matter how serious the sin. Let us turn confidently to Our Lord, Who is love and mercy.

ACTS OF REPARATION (Choose one.) Abstain from meat today. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for today’s intention. Offer some other sacrifice, prayer, or act of penance that you feel called to do for today's intention.

ONE STEP FURTHER If a friend confided in you that she had an abortion, would you be able to listen and respond in a way that brings her closer to forgiveness and healing? Learn how in "How to Talk to a Friend Who’s Had an Abortion."

Saint of the Day for Friday

St. Anthony the Abbot

Two Greek philosophers ventured out into the Egyptian desert to the mountain where Anthony lived. When they got there, Anthony asked them why they had come to talk to such a foolish man? He had reason to say that -- they saw before them a man who wore a skin, who refused to bathe, who lived on bread and water. They were Greek, the world's most admired civilization, and Anthony was Egyptian, a member of a conquered nation. They were philosophers, educated in languages and rhetoric. Anthony had not even attended school as a boy and he needed an interpreter to speak to them. In their eyes, he would have seemed very foolish.

But the Greek philosophers had heard the stories of Anthony. They had heard how disciples came from all over to learn from him, how his intercession had brought about miraculous healings, how his words comforted the suffering. They assured him that they had come to him because he was a wise man.

Anthony guessed what they wanted. They lived by words and arguments. They wanted to hear his words and his arguments on the truth of Christianity and the value of ascetism. But he refused to play their game. He told them that if they truly thought him wise, "If you think me wise, become what I am, for we ought to imitate the good. Had I gone to you, I should have imitated you, but, since you have come to me, become what I am, for I am a Christian."

Anthony's whole life was not one of observing, but of becoming. When his parents died when he was eighteen or twenty he inherited their three hundred acres of land and the responsibility for a young sister. One day in church, he heard read Matthew 19:21: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Not content to sit still and meditate and reflect on Jesus' words he walked out the door of the church right away and gave away all his property except what he and his sister needed to live on. On hearing Matthew 6:34, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today," he gave away everything else, entrusted his sister to a convent, and went outside the village to live a life of praying, fasting, and manual labor. It wasn't enough to listen to words, he had to become what Jesus said.

Every time he heard of a holy person he would travel to see that person. But he wasn't looking for words of wisdom, he was looking to become. So if he admired a person's constancy in prayer or courtesy or patience, he would imitate it. Then he would return home.

Anthony went on to tell the Greek philosophers that their arguments would never be as strong as faith. He pointed out that all rhetoric, all arguments, no matter how complex, how well-founded, were created by human beings. But faith was created by God. If they wanted to follow the greatest ideal, they should follow their faith.

Anthony knew how difficult this was. Throughout his life he argued and literally wrestled with the devil. His first temptations to leave his ascetic life were arguments we would find hard to resist -- anxiety about his sister, longings for his relatives, thoughts of how he could have used his property for good purposes, desire for power and money. When Anthony was able to resist him, the devil then tried flattery, telling Anthony how powerful Anthony was to beat him. Anthony relied on Jesus' name to rid himself of the devil. It wasn't the last time, though. One time, his bout with the devil left him so beaten, his friends thought he was dead and carried him to church. Anthony had a hard time accepting this. After one particular difficult struggle, he saw a light appearing in the tomb he lived in. Knowing it was God, Anthony called out, "Where were you when I needed you?" God answered, "I was here. I was watching your struggle. Because you didn't give in, I will stay with you and protect you forever."

With that kind of assurance and approval from God, many people would have settled in, content with where they were. But Anthony's reaction was to get up and look for the next challenge -- moving out into the desert.

Anthony always told those who came to visit him that the key to the ascetic life was perseverance, not to think proudly, "We've lived an ascetic life for a long time" but treat each day as if it were the beginning. To many, perseverance is simply not giving up, hanging in there. But to Anthony perseverance meant waking up each day with the same zeal as the first day. It wasn't enough that he had given up all his property one day. What was he going to do the next day?

Once he had survived close to town, he moved into the tombs a little farther away. After that he moved out into the desert. No one had braved the desert before. He lived sealed in a room for twenty years, while his friends provided bread. People came to talk to him, to be healed by him, but he refused to come out. Finally they broke the door down. Anthony emerged, not angry, but calm. Some who spoke to him were healed physically, many were comforted by his words, and others stayed to learn from him. Those who stayed formed what we think of as the first monastic community, though it is not what we would think of religious life today. All the monks lived separately, coming together only for worship and to hear Anthony speak.

But after awhile, too many people were coming to seek Anthony out. He became afraid that he would get too proud or that people would worship him instead of God. So he took off in the middle of the night, thinking to go to a different part of Egypt where he was unknown. Then he heard a voice telling him that the only way to be alone was to go into the desert. He found some Saracens who took him deep into the desert to a mountain oasis. They fed him until his friends found him again.

Anthony died when he was one hundred and five years old. A life of solitude, fasting, and manual labor in the service of God had left him a healthy, vigorous man until very late in life. And he never stopped challenging himself to go one step beyond in his faith.

 Saint Athanasius, who knew Anthony and wrote his biography, said, "Anthony was not known for his writings nor for his worldly wisdom, nor for any art, but simply for his reverence toward God." We may wonder nowadays at what we can learn from someone who lived in the desert, wore skins, ate bread, and slept on the ground. We may wonder how we can become him. We can become Anthony by living his life of radical faith and complete commitment to God.

Continue reading about St. Anthony the Abbot

In Los Angeles the shepherd draws close to his flock as the wildfires burn; recovery begins

 

Finding God in the wildfires

Archbishop José H. Gomez | New World of Faith

Victims of the Palisades Fire hug during a special Mass for the burned-down Corpus Christi Church at St. Monica in Santa Monica on Jan. 12. (Victor Alemán)

My heart is heavy for all of you who are suffering because of the wildfires that are still burning in the mountains and along the sea. These days are a trial for our great city and for the family of God here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

As the firestorm first hit, I offered a series of Masses to pray for you and our neighbors and for the brave men and women working to put these fires out and keep us safe.

It was an emotional experience for me to meet those of you who have lost so much: loved ones and homes, businesses and livelihoods; parishes, schools, and neighborhoods. It makes me deeply sad to see thousands of LA Catholics and other Angelenos living like refugees and displaced persons in their own hometowns.

We are just beginning to understand the magnitude of the destruction and disruption. These fires have reduced people’s worldly possessions and their most precious memories to ashes and left their futures uncertain. Officials say it may take years to rebuild and that many of our communities may never look the same.

In times like this, it’s understandable that we might question God’s love for us, to wonder where he is while good people are suffering. Why does God allow evil? Why does he allow natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods?

There are no easy answers. But that does not mean that there are no answers.

Jesus taught us that God is our Father and that he holds all creation in his loving hands. He promised that not a single sparrow falls from the sky without our Father knowing. Then he reminded us: You are worth so much more than any sparrow.

You are precious to God, each of you. You are so precious to God that he sent his only Son into the world to die on the cross for you. We need to cling to this truth when hardships and sufferings come.

Jesus knows our hopes and dreams and struggles. He is near to us in our joys and in our sorrows.

He has only one will for our lives: that we grow in holiness and love and become saints who share his love here on earth and live forever with him in heaven. Everything that happens, everything he allows, comes from his love for us and his desire for our salvation. 

This is not an easy answer, but it is the truth.

The saints teach that while God himself cannot suffer, he does suffer with us.

This is the beautiful truth of the cross. By dying and rising from the dead, Jesus showed us that God can bring good out of even the greatest evil.

And because Jesus conquered death, our own sufferings can find meaning and purpose when we join them with his.

Every crisis is a crossroads. And in every crisis we have a decision to make.

We can respond with anger and despair, and that’s a natural temptation.

Or we can decide to accept our sufferings as somehow sharing in the sufferings of Jesus, who suffers for us and with us and who will never abandon us no matter how dark the path may seem.

Even when we have been left with little, we still have love to give.

We can “offer up” our sufferings in a spirit of love and sacrifice for our neighbors. We can make a gift of our lives to suffer alongside others, supporting them in their struggles.

Again, the saints teach us that the sacrifices we make for others can bear fruits of love and compassion when we unite ourselves to Jesus’ sufferings. In a mysterious way, what we offer in love becomes part of the great treasury of compassion that flows from his sufferings on the cross.

Already in this firestorm, we see the Lord raising up heroic witnesses.

I’m thinking of the family down on their knees in the place where their home once stood, giving thanks to God and Our Lady for sparing them; the parishioners who risked their lives to put out the fire on the church roof; and the firefighters who rescued the tabernacle from a burning church.

We will hear more stories like this in the days ahead. There will be many more sacrifices of love that we will never hear of, all the hidden offerings of parents for their children, all the little unseen acts of kindness in our homes and communities.

Let’s keep helping and supporting one another, let’s keep working together so that our neighbors will know the truth of God’s love in this hour of devastation and loss.

Pray for me, and I will pray for you.

And let us ask Our Blessed Mother to protect and guide us.

Our Lady, Queen of Angels: Be a mother to us all!