We were unable to collect during these two months, the equivalent of 40 to 50 million euros
, said Ambroise Laurent, deputy secretary general of the Conférence des évêques de France, in charge of finance, Thursday during a videoconference.
It’s about a estimate
, rather optimistic
, calculated on the fact that the churches were, not closed, but inaccessible, for about ten Sundays, especially during the period of Holy Week, when the crowds are usually more important
.
A shortfall of 10 to 15% of the total amount of current resources of the Church of France
There were no quests during these two months and the offerings of mass and casualties (donations for baptisms, weddings and funerals) have been reduced to practically zero. This shortfall is not far from representing 10 to 15%
of the total amount of current resources of theChurch of France (excluding bequests). At the same time, the charges
have remained almost identical.
At the beginning of April, 80 to 95% of the dioceses asked for the benefit of the postponements of social charges, the postponements of loan maturities […], some even had to resort to state guaranteed loans
. In total, ten dioceses at the end of June are in bright red
, especially those of Avignon and Créteil.
Different online quest devices, including one set up at 1er April, allowed to “collect 3 to 4 million
. A punctual system of solidarity between dioceses is also put in place.
To pass this difficult course
, the Church calls for donations from practicing Catholics
, invited to support local actions launched in parishes and dioceses. An act qualified as liturgical
.
– .
