Pope Leo XIV marked his 71st birthday on Monday with a focus on Vatican employees, as the Vatican released a papal decree to revoke salary cuts imposed by his predecessor, Pope Francis, in 2021. These cuts were part of cost-saving measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decree stated that the salary reductions "can now be overcome" and emphasized the Holy See's ongoing commitment to maintaining economic sustainability. The cuts had included a 10% reduction in pay for cardinals and smaller reductions for other employees, while biennial pay raises were frozen for senior lay staff, though lower-ranking workers continued to receive raises. Pope Francis had justified the cuts as necessary to address a structural deficit of around 70 million euros and a 1 billion euro pension fund shortfall. The pandemic severely impacted the Vatican’s finances, with the closure of the Vatican Museums—a major revenue source—and losses from investment and currency fluctuations. Pope Leo, a former superior general of his Augustinian religious order and a math major, is known for his financial acumen. His brother, John Prevost, recently mentioned that Leo helped him with tax-related questions, highlighting the pope's practical approach to financial matters. Soon after his election, Leo expressed that the Vatican’s financial situation was not as dire as previously thought and acknowledged some of Francis’s reforms. However, Leo has since reversed or modified several of Francis’s financial decisions. In another decree, he canceled Francis’s plan to relocate the Vatican’s secret archives and library to a pontifical university across town. Leo stated that new opportunities had emerged to expand within Vatican City itself, leading to the construction of a new building on a current parking lot to house the archives, which include ancient manuscripts and historical collections. To celebrate his birthday, Pope Leo visited the Vatican Apostolic Library, where he highlighted the significance of his mother’s background as a librarian. He inaugurated an exhibition titled "Catastrophe and Marvel," focusing on water, as part of a five-year cycle. The exhibition features a large wave sculpture by French artist JR, attached to the library's facade. The library remains open to scholars and researchers, with a small exhibition space accessible to the public on a weekly basis.