The annual report on the Church’s finances shows that, last year, income declined by €1.5 million to €6.4 million. This was mainly due to a drop in revenue from interest. The figures also showed that an increase in revenue from donations of about €73,000 was not enough to make up the shortfall.
Two-thirds of the Church’s expenditure, totalling €6.2 million, went on the remuneration of clergy and lay workers. The Curia employs almost 1,400 people, with the number of both full-time and part-time increasing last year. The majority of workers – 339 – were employed at the Curia’s homes for children and the elderly, while 252 served at homes for people with disability. There were 270 priests on the payroll.
Although income was higher than expenditure, the bottom line was affected by payments of subsidies to Ecclesiastical entities, with the Curia’s media activities requiring the largest share of subsidy at €449,000. Nonetheless, while announcing the figures, the administrative secretary was optimistic that the money made in 2015 would enable the Curia to continue work on a number of ongoing projects.
An examination of the raw numbers highlights a few interesting aspects. Perhaps the most surprising is the extremely limited annual income from donations, which, at just over €4,300 a week, is a remarkably low contribution from parishioners. Is this only a reflection of falling Church attendances?
The figures of money raised for fireworks provides a comparison. Clearly, coins rather than paper money fill the collection bag and one wonders whether this accurately reflects the ability of a now-affluent Malta to give more. The most commendably impressive lesson from these statistics is that the major portion of the Church’s income goes on supporting its front-line activities in its homes for children and the elderly and looking after persons with disability. Historically, until the arrival of the modern State, the Church, virtually alone, combined the duties of today’s ministers for education and social security.
In the past, its work in education and social care was pivotal in tackling abject poverty in Malta. It has suited successive governments – and, thus, the tax-payer – to maintain this relationship in the social care field, especially when it comes to looking after children, the disabled and the elderly in residential homes, which are run in their majority by the Church.
The Church sees these homes as an essential part of its mission to serve the poor and most vulnerable. It runs over a dozen residential homes for children and several more for the elderly or disabled. The homes are managed insofar as possible like “normal households”, caring for their physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological needs. The children, elderly and disabled need every support and the limitless patience of the staff who care for them, assisted by professional helpers: psychiatrists, family psychologists, counsellors and family therapists. Should the central government carry a greater part of the burden? Should, or could, EU funding be tapped to provide relief in any of these areas, as hinted at by the administrative secretary?
The Maltese Church is not rich. Given the range of the good work it does, it has a remarkably modest budget. It has to run a very tight financial ship to survive.
It produces remarkable value for money and so deserves to receive the plaudits and tangible support of the whole nation for doing so.