How and how much does the priest earn in the churches of different countries

Attitudes towards clergymen in the world are completely different, that is why the payment of their labor is different, and the size of taxes and pensions are different. Let's see how and how many priests from different countries earn?

Italy

So, in Italy there is a specially created for this church fund. His duties include:

• Management of all contributions of parishioners of Catholic and other religious institutions throughout the country.
• Organization of payments of pensions to Catholic priests and clergy of other faiths.
• The Foundation manages the Social Security Institution, which operates on the basis of the Priests Prisons Regulation Agreement. This agreement was confirmed by the Conference of Bishops of Italy.
• The Fund's budget is formed from: voluntary donations from citizens and voluntary tax deductions in favor of the Vatican.

In 2000, the Foundation included priests who did not have the citizenship of Italy, but worked in the diocese of the country.

Priests of Italy go on deserved rest at the age of 68 years. The pension is an average of 1100 euros.

Germany

Germany equates the priests with civil servants. Therefore, the approach to paying pensions to German clergymen is the same as for officials, only there the state pays, and then - the church. The only thing, the pension fund of the church has nothing to do with the country's pension provision.

The church budget for payment of salaries and pensions includes only own means. To understand how much the priests earn, it is important that the income of the church is made up of the church tax that is levied on members of the religious community. Its size is approximately 8-9%, depending on the federal land.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the approach to securing clerics is somewhat different. Here this category of church workers belongs to the general. Anglican pastors and Catholic priests literally have to pay taxes. If they have privileges, then they are also standard. State subsidies also do not apply to either the state Anglican or the Catholic Church.

The money received from funeral and wedding processions, the baptism of children, etc., are consolidated and sent to the wage fund. In the event that there is an additional income received from training or journalism, then it is declared by the spiritual worker and is also taxed.

How much the priest earns depends entirely on his age and length of service. The amount of his income determines the subsequent pension payments.

Spain

The Spanish approach to paying pensions to priests is similar to English. Here it is also paid by the church and is formed from monthly deductions from the clergy's salary. The state allocates grants that are used for:

• The content of the diocese;
• Covering administrative expenses.

In the late 70-ies of XX century in Spain, an agreement was signed, which regulates the economic activities of the church. Monthly, the state allocates about 12 million euros from the state budget for the maintenance of the diocese. In addition, funds come from the donations of parishioners. Also in 2007 introduced the possibility of transferring 0.7% of income tax to individuals for the benefit of the Catholic Church. This amount is estimated at 150 million euros per year.

So how much do the priests earn in the church of Spain? Approximate monthly income is the following:

• Archbishop - 1,200 euros;
• Bishop - 900 euros;
• Priest - 700 euros.

There is also a bonus system for chaplains, as well as priests at hospitals - 140 euros, for canons - a maximum of 300 euros.

If the priest teaches or works as a nurse in public or private institutions and receives salary for his activity, he receives nothing from the parish. The employer is the one who pays the salary to the priest in that case.

The pension of the representatives of the clergy is minimal.

Czech Republic

Calculation of the pension of the clergy in the Czech Republic does not differ from the state one. That is, it is formed from the calculation of the average salary of an employee for the past 30 years. As such, the pension fund of the clergy in the Czech Republic is absent, and the pension is regarded as a certain premium from the state.

Priests are considered to be public servants of the budgetary sphere. But as much as the average earns a priest, no official gets it - the income of the clergy is 30 percent lower and is about 600 euros.

France

France in the early twentieth century strictly divided religion and state. Therefore, the entire income of the church here is formed solely from donations.

How much do priests earn in this country? According to the media, the average monthly amount is about 950 euros (with a minimum wage of 1100 euros), the clergy are allocated housing, but the food is paid for by them independently.

Both Catholic priests and Islamic imams, Buddhist monks, all receive a state pension. The average monthly pension is about 900 euros.

Belgium

And how much does the priest earn in Belgium? Unlike France, the Belgian priests are paid monthly by the state. It depends on the office, the bishop varies between 1600-8400 euros. The clergy receive the clergy of Catholics, Protestants, Anglicans, Orthodox and Jews.

Also, the state annually pays the premiums: in summer and winter periods, from the monthly calculation of the last salary.

Priests can rent premises, and often the local government covers the cost of rent.

The preservation and restoration of cultural religious buildings are the responsibility of the state together with the church. In addition, activities related to the practice of faith are financed from the state budget. For example, wine for the parishioners during the service.

Despite state support, religious institutions are required to pay property taxes.

USA

In the United States, the pension of the clergy directly depends on how much the priest earns in the period of work ability. Consists of the following monthly payments:

• State (from the taxes paid by the priest to the state in the social insurance fund) - often less than $ 1,000;
• Church (from the income of priests from pastoral work) - about 2000 dollars;
• Additional individual.

Russia

In Russia, priests receive both a salary and a pension.

The salary is actually appointed by the abbot, and most often it is calculated from the total income of the parish.

How much the priest earns depends on the following points:

1. First of all on the size of the tribute of the parishioners. The more money the parish collects, the higher the wages of church workers.

2. Plus, a part of the income from the sale of candles, icons, crosses and other church goods, as well as donations for baptism, wedding, memorial services, prayer services, funeral services, etc., are included in the salary. All church activities are not taxed.

3. Liturgy, Matins or Vespers - all this is a general worship, except for this there are private, at the request of the parishioners - they are called trebs and are paid additionally.

4. Additional subsidies from the patriarchate and the diocese. In 2013, according to a document adopted by the Orthodox Church, priests in need receive financial assistance from dioceses, and the size is determined by a specially created commission.

5. Support of sponsors (in salary, repair, maintenance of temples, etc.).

Thus, if the salary of a priest is small, it means that his work is bad, few believers are ready to buy church products, order songs, and simply sacrifice in favor of the church.

Monthly to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation there are deductions from parishes for each clergyman, later the pension is paid from the foundation to the church workers.

All economic issues of the Russian Orthodox Church are managed by the Financial and Economic Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.

This Office developed a Regulation on the material support of priests, according to which the wages of priests should be guided by the average wages of social workers (teachers, psychologists, medical personnel, educators, etc.) in the region.

Of course, all the clauses of this Statute are mostly purely recommendatory in nature, and their implementation depends largely on the current state of affairs, therefore it is rather difficult to answer the question of concern to all: "But in fact, how much do the priests in Russia earn?".