In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and Colleen discuss the “birthday gifts” Pope Leo XIV gave to the Vatican on his 71st birthday: an expansion of the Vatican Library and archives and the repeal of Covid-era salary cuts. The hosts explain Vatican salaries and what has changed financially for the Holy See since the pandemic.

In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry give a primer on “Baby Bishops’ School,” the annual training for newly-ordained bishops that recently concluded in Rome.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:42 Pope Leo repeals Covid-era salary cuts
4:52 How Vatican employees are compensated
7:52 The Vatican’s financial recovery since 2024
10:39 Vatican finances under Pope Leo
15:06 Vatican Library and archive expansion
18:33 Baby Bishops’ School explained
21:03 Bishops get international perspective
24:49 Pope Leo’s address to new bishops
29:43 The Pope Leo ‘style’ of being bishop
33:40 What could change for bishops under Leo
35:30 Outro and credits

Links:
Pope Leo celebrates his 71st birthday—by giving gifts to the Vatican https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/09/14/pope-leo-birthday-celebration-vatican/
Is Pope Leo ‘Americanizing’ Vatican fundraising? https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/09/08/pope-leo-vatican-fundraising-americanization/
What Pope Leo has said about an ‘A.I. pause’ https://www.americamagazine.org/news-analysis/2026/09/16/pope-leo-ai-pause/
Pope Leo calls for ‘culture of negotiation’ at meeting of North and South American leaders https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/09/16/pope-leo-fratell-tutti-forum/
Synodality, multiculturalism and working with Pope Leo: Archbishop Costelloe on the Australian Catholic Church https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/09/15/australia-catholic-church-archbishop-costelloe/
Pope Leo warns technology cannot replace the value of human relationships https://www.americamagazine.org/news/2026/09/16/pope-leo-technology-ai-human-relationships/
Cardinal Czerny awarded inaugural Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal https://www.americamagazine.org/news/2026/09/16/pope-sustainability-medal-award/
Pope Leo commemorates 9/11, praying for all who ‘bear wounds of that tragic day’ https://www.americamagazine.org/news/2026/09/14/pope-leo-9-11-anniversary/

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