Vatican employees report distrust of managers, mistreatment in the workplace

Jan 21, 2026 / 11:30 am

A survey of Vatican employees conducted by the Vatican Lay Employees Association (ADLV) found broad dissatisfaction with career advancement, widespread distrust of leadership, and significant reports of workplace mistreatment among respondents.

The poll — carried out between Dec. 15, 2025, and Jan. 7 and published on the ADLV website — is being described by the association as the first representative survey of staff working across Vatican offices and entities. The ADLV functions as an internal employee association, though it does not have formal union recognition in the Vatican’s legal system, where strikes are not permitted.

According to the ADLV, 250 people responded to the questionnaire, about 80% of whom are members of the association. The Holy See employs roughly 4,200 workers, though most are not affiliated with the ADLV — a limitation the group acknowledged while describing the sample as “limited, but significant.”

Among the most striking findings: 73.9% of respondents said they perceive a clear distance between Vatican leadership — typically office heads and superiors, many of them cardinals or bishops — and employees. Just 12.8% said they were satisfied on that point.

More than 71% of participants said superiors are not selected through transparent criteria or a clearly defined professional path, while 26% said it is not possible to maintain a free and sincere dialogue with direct managers.

Respondents also reported a strong sense of professional under-appreciation. About 75.9% said human resources are not appropriately placed, valued, or motivated, and 75.8% said the workplace does not reward initiative, merit, or experience gained through seniority.

More than half report mistreatment

The ADLV said more than 56% of respondents reported having experienced injustices or humiliating behavior from superiors — concerns the association argued merit urgent attention even though Vatican law does not formally define “mobbing,” or workplace bullying, as a specific offense.

In a related finding, 73.4% of respondents said they perceive favoritism, unequal treatment, and insecurity about the protection of their rights, including concerns connected to the pension system.

The survey also indicated major frustration with career progression: 73% reported a perceived “block” in professional advancement and pointed to the continued suspension of a biennial wage step that had previously been added to base salary and factored into pensions and end-of-service benefits (TFR). The ADLV noted that Pope Francis eliminated the benefit in 2021 as a cost-saving measure amid Holy See budget deficits.

Assessments of labor reforms over the past decade were largely negative in the survey: 68% said reforms have not produced concrete benefits but instead increased restrictions, and more than 79% said insufficient investment is being made in staff formation and training.

Calls for recognized representation and stable dialogue

The survey points to strong demand for officially recognized representative bodies with greater capacity to intervene in labor disputes. More than 71% of respondents said they would turn to the ADLV in the event of a workplace conflict, compared with about 10% who said they would go to the Vatican labor tribunal (ULSA).

Nearly 75% said direct dialogue between the ADLV and dicastery leadership is the most effective way to resolve problems.

Respondents also offered suggestions addressed to Pope Leo XIV, frequently urging that workers be given greater dignity, voice, and real protection through representation, transparency, dialogue, and respect for personal rights. The ADLV said Pope Leo’s election has raised expectations for change, pointing to what it called early positive signs — including prompt action involving the labor tribunal, authorization of a bonus linked to the conclave that had previously been removed, and indications of openness to a shared path of dialogue.

The ADLV said it contacted the Secretariat for the Economy, which oversees the Holy See’s Human Resources Office, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.