The Catholic Church in the Czech Republic is preparing for a profound change in its funding. Starting in 2030, state economic contributions to churches will disappear completely, leading several dioceses to seek new ways of sustenance, including online donation platforms to finance priests’ salaries.
According to EWTN, this transition is due to the law approved by the Czech Parliament in 2012 on the restitution of assets confiscated by the communist regime between 1948 and 1989. The regulation established a process of economic compensation and return of properties to religious communities, accompanied by a temporary system of state contributions that will progressively decrease until they disappear in 2030.
The restitution law after communism
After years of debate following the fall of communism in 1989, Parliament approved in 2012 the so-called Property Settlement Act with Churches and Religious Societies, which came into force in 2013.
The legislation provides for compensation for properties that cannot be restituted and includes state payments that will continue until 2043. In total, the churches will receive 59 billion Czech crowns (approximately 2.4 billion euros) as compensation for assets confiscated during the communist regime.
During the negotiations, the Catholic Church—the largest denomination in the country—renounced part of its claims to facilitate the process for other denominations as well.
However, direct state contributions for the ordinary functioning of the churches will decrease each year until they disappear completely in 2030.
Crowdfunding to sustain priests’ salaries
Faced with this horizon, some dioceses have begun to promote new forms of funding. In the Archdiocese of Olomouc, more than 6,100 donors already contribute to the sustenance of priests through the digital platform Donátor.
The system allows the faithful to make online donations specifically intended for the clergy’s salaries. The platform was originally created in the Diocese of Brno to finance parish projects, but over time it has become an important tool for advancing toward economic self-sufficiency.
Father Jan Berka, parish priest in Valašské Meziříčí and member of the pastoral and presbyteral councils of the archdiocese, described the system as “a simple and effective way” to contribute to the sustenance of priestly ministry.
Shared responsibility of the faithful
Berka believes that the project can foster greater shared responsibility of the laity in parish life, by involving them directly in the Church’s sustenance.
In some cases, he added, if the community reaches the planned funding goal, any resources exceeding that amount can be allocated to other parish needs.
Donations, moreover, are made anonymously, so the clergy do not know who contributes and who does not.
Investments and economic adjustments
The Archdiocese of Olomouc is also developing a portfolio of investments in agriculture, forestry, financial investments, and real estate, as explained by Martin Pirkl, the archdiocese’s economist.
The process will involve reviewing expenses and setting priorities. Pirkl acknowledges that it will not be possible to maintain all rural temples in poor condition, so cooperation with the State and municipalities will be necessary to preserve cultural heritage.
A profound change for the Church in a secularized country
According to statements to EWTN, experts consider that the end of state funding will represent an important transformation for the Church in the Czech Republic.
Jakub Kříž, professor of law at the Faculty of Catholic Theology of Charles University in Prague, described the process as a “revolutionary change” that will force the search for new long-term funding methods.
At the same time, he warned that the decline in the number of believers in one of Europe’s most secularized countries could affect the Church’s economic stability.