Curia records Budget surplus - first in three years
Video: Curia Communications Office
The Maltese Curia last year recorded a surplus of €114,279, financial controller Robert Agius told a press conference today.
It was the first surplus in three years.
In the previous year the Curia had a deficit of €1.7 million, caused mainly by the Pope's visit.
Mr Agius said that revenue in 2011 was of €24.7m, a slight increase from €24.5 in 2010. Collections and donations totalled €7.7m, a drop from €8.5 in the previous year. Income increased from other sources such as property and fees.
Expenditure reached €24.9m from €26.2m in 2010. The biggest outlay was in salaries to lay employees totalling €10.2m, operational costs of €9.7m and remuneration to priests at €2.4m. The Church made donation €486,00 of which €189,000 were for the anti-divorce campaign.
The Curia, however, made a capital gain on investments of €267,665 compared to €3,602 in the year before. Most arose from the sale of Malta government stocks, which were reinvested in APS bank.
Taxation reached €939,000.
Mgr Charles Cordina said measures had been taken to cut costs particularly with regard to water and electricity.
He said the role of the Church was not just in spread God's Word but also the provision of important care services to vulnerable persons including children, the elderly and those with disabilities.
He thanked volunteers for their invaluable work.
The press conference was held at Fra Diego children's home. Mr Agius said that children's homes were running at a deficit and relied on the assistance of the Curia's central fund,which last year handed out almost €200,000 for the purpose. They also relied heavily on donations.
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21 Comments
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Franco Abela
Oct 3rd 2012, 07:50
SOME COST CUTTING CAN DO MIRACLES.... ENEMALTA SHOULD TRY THAT!
m. borg (slm)
Oct 2nd 2012, 21:01
Money is the root of all evil, spread the surplus.
Joseph Micallef
Oct 2nd 2012, 19:48
That's good... so they can ask for less fees at church schools, reduce the exorbitant charges for filing annulments, distribute money to the poor and give higher wages to its employees like teachers
J. Debono
Oct 2nd 2012, 20:42
Church schools ask for no fees.
You are expected to give a donation, but is not obliged to do so.
On the other hand, church schools work at a loss, and without donations, I would not blame the church if it closes them down.
J. Debono
Oct 3rd 2012, 07:06
@ Joseph Micallef
"so they can ask for less fees at church schools" - it is not a fee but a donation, you are not obliged to give it, as do many parents
"reduce the exorbitant charges for filing annulments" - you cannot pretend the church to pay for the lawyers etc. involved in annulments!!!! After all the church has no fault in a annulled marriage!
"distribute money to the poor" - are you not aware of the work of the church - Dar tal-Providenza, Appogg, Caritas, Church Schools (which are free), Dar tal-Anzjani, etc. etc. etc. It is all for free!
"give higher wages to its employees like teachers" - nobody I know complains of the wages the church gives - FYI - the teachers in church schools are paid by the Government NOT by the church, which is the reason why church schools are free.
Joseph Micallef
Oct 3rd 2012, 11:30
@ J. Debono
Well done for being an excellent apologist for the church, however, you are barking at the wrong tree as I think that I know a bit about the church.... having been so, so close to its institutions for more than a decade, I know a bit how things work:
Donations (aka fees):
True, mela, very true, no fees hux (thanks to the labor government of the 80's). Saqsi lil dawk il-genituri li ma jaghtux id-donations ħalli jgħidulek kemm il-darba jircivu reminders biex iħalsu jew ara jekk ikunx hemm xi ħars differenti! Saqsihom!
Filing of anulments:
Uzgur, mhux hekk, mhux tort taghha. Izda tort taghha jekk il-process ittawwalulek ghal xi 8 snin! U l-istess process jkun jista jinqata f'anqas minn sena! U c-charges zejda li hemm? Gieli rajthom? Saqsi lil min hu mgarrab halli tkun taf!
Distribute money to the poor:
Are you serious? Vera li xi whud jimxu fuq il-passi ta' Kristu izda ara numru ta' sacerdoti, bil-karozzi lussuzi, bl-aqwa mobile phones. Ara certu nies fit-tmexxija ta' l-iskejjel tal-knisja bl-ispeed boats u jghixu gol-vilel. B'xejn ma tghidx li dawn jghixu fil-faqar hux? Jekk tahseb li hekk, nassigurak li wahdek tahseb hekk.
Give higher wages to its employees:
Habib, naf aktar minnek kif jithalsu l-ghalliema. Ma konts qed nirreferi ghal ghalliema biss jien, nissugerilek tqalleb fid-dizjunarju halli tara xi tfisser 'employees'. Taf li l-ghalliema fl-iskejjel tal-knisja m'ghandhom l-ebda rizorzi meta mqabblin ma' dawk tal-gvern? Ezempju wiehed baziku: laptops. Tal-gvern kollha bil-computer, tal-knisja ma jeziztux! Mela l-knisja teachers biss ghandha?, tezizti l-media taghha? ara kif jithalsu in-nies fil-media taghha, mur saqsihom halli taqbad tidhaq tisma r-rati ta' hlas!! Mur, saqsi!
Nahseb ahjar ticcekja l-fatti qabel ma titkellem habib.
Mark Brincat
Oct 2nd 2012, 16:54
Kull meta niftakar li nfaqtu 189,000 fuq anti-divorce campaign u ghalxejn ikolli tbissima kbira fuq wicci :)
Joseph Aquilina
Oct 2nd 2012, 17:39
Mark Brincat, that money was not wasted, that money served to help people understand better the values of the Church on the particular subject. The fact is that the YES camp thinks they made a big win when in fact 47% of the people voted NO and many from the lejber camp opted not to vote because they did not want to choose between the Church and Joseph. So that money was definitely not wasted.
I Bugeja
Oct 2nd 2012, 20:22
Joseph Aquilina... how "many" Labour voters chose not to vote? Please let me know, it would be interesting to know.
Anthony Galea
Oct 2nd 2012, 22:18
Titbissem ghax inhela l-flus Mark? Sfortuna grassa li nippprovaw ngharrqu lil min ma jaqbilx maghna. Imm sfortunatament dik il-mentalita drajniha Malta.
Destructive criticism at its best-kompli immagina li int progressiv!
Charles Zammit
Oct 2nd 2012, 16:43
@ Joseph Apap . That would really clear the Churces attendance for sure .
Anthony A. Mifsud
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:59
Weldon to Robert Agius he should take over the ministry, as our present admin cannot spell Budget
As I know it at school the word Budget means what you can afford to spend and keep the itill in balance
U mella Tonio!,,,
Anthony Scicluna
Oct 2nd 2012, 16:16
You are wrong. By definition, a budget is a projection or forecast of expenditure and revenue. One may budget for losses as well as profits.
Joseph Apap
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:57
Collections and donations have dropped.
Msot people who go only to Mass once a week should be asked to give the Church at least one Euro during the Mass
godwin difesa
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:18
In my opinion the church can do much better these days but not from donations or begging but give more marketing to APS Bank.When you read the results of some local banks they are making big profit in Malta.There is one world local bank who is forcing some middle age bank mangers to ask for resigning with compensation.Why those not the church try to open some more branches in villages like Zejtun,Qormi,Sigiwii,Melliha where there are many milions or billions of Euros deposits in these world local bank who is trying to downsize the bank branches by take advantage and take these very experienced bank mangers to open these branches plus most of these mangers have a lot of loyal clients which they can approach to start open new account with APS bank.From the other side the church can make more promotion of the church bank APS so people can invest there money safe with the church bank.I am confident that if the church will concentrate on this idea most of the Maltese people mostly the elderly who have there savings in an other bank will contribute.At least Malta will have a bank B QALB SOCIALI that all the profit will be returned again in our country for the needs mostly for the church homes.
Joe Grech
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:02
Robert Agius should be the Minister of finance!!!
A Spiteri
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:02
we should replace this chap with Tonio Fenech!
pat muscat
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:51
Ahjar l-Knisja tmexxi l-finanzi tal-pajjiz, dan hu ghaqal u proset!
X'differenza l-Gvern ta GonziPN: bla ghaqal u bla kontrol!
A.Felex Busuttil
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:43
Good financial management Welldone
now we need good management for elderly homes
and we need good management to attract more people to go to church
small not........what was the loss of RTK the mouth piece of the church and.........??????
Wilfred Camilleri
Oct 2nd 2012, 14:08
"The Church made donation €486,00 of which €189,000 were for the anti-divorce campaign." is funding an anti-divorce campaign a donation???
mmmmm if the Children's homes need almost Euro200,000 - it was better to use the 189 for this purpose and make a TRUE donation i guess!! Or maybe I am not getting this :/
A.Felex Busuttil
Oct 2nd 2012, 15:18
dejjem kif qabillhom
when are we going to see the Gozo Curia accounts?
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