Skip to content

Pope Leo centralizes oversight of St. Peter’s and St. Mary Major basilicas

The main altar of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. | Credit: Jorge Royan (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Pope Leo XIV has issued a new decree revising the financial and administrative norms governing the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Mary Major, bringing both institutions under the ordinary oversight of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, in the latest act of fine-tuning of economic reforms undertaken by his predecessor Pope Francis.

The pope writes that the Holy See’s economic and financial reform requires “periodic reevaluation and redefinition” of the applicable regulatory framework. 

The letter motu proprio, dated Sept. 29, 2025, was promulgated this month when it was posted in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. It has not previously been reported by the media. 

The decree abrogates two earlier such decrees concerning the Fabric of St. Peter’s and the Chapter of St. Mary Major. Under the updated provisions, both the Fabbrica — which oversees the care, maintenance, and artistic patrimony of St. Peter’s Basilica — and the Chapter of St. Mary Major are now subject to the same forms of oversight established for other entities listed under the statutes of the Council for the Economy and in Praedicate Evangelium, the 2022 apostolic constitution that reorganized the Roman Curia.

To ensure what Pope Leo calls an “immediate and structured transition,” the Secretariat for the Economy will coordinate implementation along with a consultative group to help resolve questions or issues that might arise. The law will eventually be published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the official gazette of the Holy See.

In October, Pope Leo XIV issued the decree Coniuncta Cura, a major financial reform that ended the Vatican Bank’s exclusive role in managing Holy See investments and allowed APSA and other accredited intermediaries to handle funds when advantageous. The change, which reverses a 2022 centralization under Pope Francis, aims to diversify management, improve returns, and strengthen the Holy See’s long-term financial sustainability amid rising operational costs.

This article was originally published by CNA.  

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp

Francis X. Rocca

Francis X. Rocca is the Vatican Editor for EWTN News. He has covered the Vatican since 2007, most recently for The Wall Street Journal, where he also reported on global religion. He has written for Time, The Times Literary Supplement and The Atlantic, among other publications. Rocca is the director of a documentary film, “Voices of Vatican II: Participants Recall the Council.”Francis X. Rocca is the Vatican Editor for EWTN News. He has covered the Vatican since 2007, most recently for The Wall Street Journal, where he also reported on global religion. He has written for Time, The Times Literary Supplement and The Atlantic, among other publications. Rocca is the director of a documentary film, “Voices of Vatican II: Participants Recall the Council.”

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

Pope Francis asks cardinals to achieve ‘zero deficit’ in the Catholic Church

Pope Francis has called on cardinals to work to achieve the goal of “zero deficit” in the economy of the Catholic Church through cost reduction, the search for external resources, and evangelical generosity.

Preview of the 2024 International Eucharistic Congress

In little more than a week, the 2024 International Eucharistic Congress will get underway in Quito, Ecuador. In

The pope didn’t summon Spain’s bishops to ‘chew them out,’ Cardinal Omella says

Pope Francis met with Spanish bishops at the Vatican today to inform them of the conclusions of the apostolic visit made to the country’s seminaries in early 2023.
Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus. Credit: EWTN Vatican

Caravaggio’s Light and Shadow Continue to Draw Visitors Toward Faith in Rome

ROME — More than four centuries after his death, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio continues to captivate millions with

Pope Francis at WYD Stations of the Cross: ‘Jesus wipes away our hidden tears’

Pope Francis told the estimated 800,000 young people praying the Stations of the Cross together at World Youth

Pope Francis’ Pandemic Prayer 5 Years Later: ‘Why Are You Afraid? Have You No Faith?’

Pope Francis’ historic “Statio Orbis” blessing during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic remains relevant for the Church as it did five years ago.

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTNVatican.com