VATICAN (AFP) - Pope Francis on Wednesday (March 24) announced plans to cut the salaries of cardinals and priests, part of an ongoing effort by the pontiff to put the Holy See's finances in order.

Cardinals will see their salaries cut by 10 per cent as of April 1, while priests' paychecks will be reduced by three per cent, the pontiff wrote in an apostolic letter. The salaries of department heads and secretaries of dicasteries will also be reduced by eight per cent under the measure, which is designed to avoid the need for job cuts.