Pope Francis cuts Vatican bonuses
Pope Francis attends a Mass in the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on April 14, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican.
Pope Francis nixes bonuses for Vatican employees, saying tough times trump tradition.
In the past, the Vatican's 4,500-plus workers have gotten a little extra something upon the death of a pope and the election of a new pope.
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In 2005, when Pope Benedict XVI was elected, each received nearly $2,000 apiece.
But Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi told Reuters times have changed.
"Extra expenses are something that might be normal in a situation of abundance, but that is not the world we find ourselves in now," he said.
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The Vatican posted a 15 million-euro deficit in 2001, according to The Associated Press.
Elected in March, Pope Francis has quickly earned a reputation for frugality, forgoing the traditional lavish papal apartments and ornate dress for a more simple, humble papacy
He took his name from Francis of Assisi, a saint who chose to live in poverty.
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