As the bells rang out across the Vatican early Monday morning, the heartbreaking news of Pope Francis’s passing at the age of 88 sent waves of grief through the Catholic community.
The Holy Father, known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away at 7:35 am local time, after a tough fight against pneumonia and kidney failure that followed months of deteriorating health.
While the death of a leading figure of Christianity is sad, social media has been abuzz about the late Pope’s Net Worth. So, what was Pope Francis net worth in 2025? Let’s find out.
Pope Francis Net Worth 2025
According to a report from UNILAD, even though Pope Francis has never officially received a salary since he became Pope in 2013, recent reports indicate that he had an estimated net worth of nearly $16 million at the time of his passing.
This revelation has certainly raised some eyebrows and sparked a lot of questions. How could a man who famously turned down the opulence of the Papal Palace and chose to stay in a modest guesthouse accumulate such wealth?
Vatican insiders believe that his wealth mainly comes from royalties, donations, and a discretionary fund of $385,000 a year that he has access to as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
However, the Pope’s own simple lifestyle suggests he lived well below his means, choosing instead to channel most of his resources into charitable and church-related causes.
The Simpleton Pope Francis
Pope Francis has become well-known for his rejection of luxury. He opts for simple clothing, drives a humble Ford Focus around Vatican City, and tirelessly advocates for the poor, immigrants, and those on the fringes of society.
Back in Buenos Aires, even before he took on the role of pope, he was recognized for personally feeding and caring for the homeless—a practice he has continued, even as he leads 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.
Even in his last weeks, Francis chose not to retreat into a life of luxury, continuing to hold audiences and celebrate Easter Masses despite his evident frailty.
Just a day before he passed away, he welcomed U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a recent convert to Catholicism, who later shared a touching tribute on social media, calling the Pope’s presence “sacred, even as his health visibly declined.”
Who Will Inherit Pope Francis’ Wealth?
As the Church gears up for a period of mourning and change, everyone’s attention is focused on what Pope Francis’s last will and testament might reveal in the next few days.
Typically, Popes don’t leave much to personal heirs; instead, they tend to allocate their assets to religious charities or Vatican foundations. Yet, given Francis’s deep empathy for everyday people and his unconventional choices during his papacy, many are curious if his final wishes will defy tradition.
Could this fortune be directed towards a cause that truly matters to him—like climate justice, helping refugees, or the memories of the slums in Buenos Aires that stayed with him? Or could it support Vatican charities or educational reform, two areas he passionately championed during his time as pope? Only time will tell.
Pope Francis: A Lasting Legacy
As millions come together in prayer, the passing of Pope Francis signifies the close of a papal era that was characterized not by riches or authority, but by genuine humility, profound compassion, and unwavering dedication to humanity.
Throughout his life, he embraced the title of “Servant of the Servants of God.” Now, in his death, the world holds its breath, eager to see how he chose to serve one last time.
