Vatican budget back in black despite weak dollar, drop in donations

Published: 2005-07-11

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican had a budget surplus of almost $3.7 million in 2004 after running a deficit three years in a row. Higher investment income and the sale of some property, mainly individual apartments in buildings outside Rome, offset increased personnel costs and a continued drop in the value of the U.S. dollar against the euro, Vatican officials said. Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani, president of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, presented the Vatican's 2004 final budget figures during a July 11 press conference. The figures had been reviewed during a July 8 meeting of the council of cardinals for the study of the organizational and economic problems of the Holy See.

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