The Church is embarking on a campaign for the faithful to understand the extent of the costs involved in the running the institution, encouraging them to give more, pastoral secretary Mgr Charles Cordina said this morning. He was speaking during the presentation of the Church’s financial report.

He said that overall, the Church’s losses last year amounted to €869,555, down from 2008’s €1,017,780.

The Church this year received €200,000 more in collections and its income from investments, deposits and loans also increased. The Church also paid less tax because of refunds it was due, as well as benefiting from an amnesty.

However, it also spent more. Most of the expenditure, Mgr Cordina said, went towards the wages of priests and lay employees, which amounted to €12.3 million last year.

Operational costs also increased and amounted to €11.8 million in 2009.

Mgr Cordina said that people had no idea of the expenses entailed to run the church and organised certain activities.

The leasing of chairs for the festivities of Christ the King, for example, ran into a bill of around €5,000 – a sum that would not be covered by the collection.

The Church had no intention of reducing its services.

“What we are doing is not for money. We are giving a service and the people are at the centre of what we do. However, we still want to get by.”

Administrative secretary Mgr Anton Portelli said that another problem the church was facing was the fact that its reserve fund, which it turned to in times of need, would run out within a year.

People who would like to give the Church their opinion or advice on the situation may e-mail rapport@maltadiocese.org .