Peter's pence

or Peter pence

noun

1. an annual tax or tribute, originally of a penny, paid by certain English property owners to the papal see until the Reformation.
2. a voluntary contribution to the pope, made by Roman Catholics.

Peter's pence

noun

1. an annual tax, originally of one penny, formerly levied for the maintenance of the Papal See: abolished by Henry VIII in 1534
2. a voluntary contribution made by Roman Catholics in many countries for the same purpose

Word History and Origins

Origin of Peter's pence¹

1175–1225; Middle English Peteres peni (singular)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Peter's pence¹

C13: referring to St Peter , considered as the first pope

Example Sentences

Overall, the Peter’s Pence fund, which finances the Vatican bureaucracy and the pope’s charitable projects around the world, ended 2022 with 11.5 million euros in surplus compared to an 18.4 million-euro deficit in 2021.

From Seattle Times

It’s the second year that the Holy See has published a dedicated financial statement for the Peter’s Pence fund, part of Pope Francis’ push for greater financial transparency in a bid to assure the faithful that their contributions are being put to good use.

From Seattle Times

Contributions from private individual donors and dioceses, which dedicate a specific Mass collection to the Peter’s Pence fund each June 29, recorded slight decreases in 2022, though income was more than made up for by the sale and management of the Vatican’s vast real estate holdings, the financial statement said.

From Seattle Times

Once again, the United States was the biggest overall donor to the Peter’s Pence fund, offering 13 million euros in 2022 compared to 11 million euros the previous year.

From Seattle Times

Prosecutors initially alleged that the money invested came from the Peter’s Pence fund, but Vatican officials have since corrected prosecutors and said the money came from other sources.

From Seattle Times