“Sacred” workplace: who and how to pay a salary from the Church
MOSCOW, Jan 14 — RIA Novosti, Alexander Filippov. “The Church lives on donations. The temple is not working, and a sacred place” — these arguments are in favor of changing the legislation heard by the state Duma and the President, but in the community caused a mixed reaction.
Is it true that religious organizations can now not pay staff even a minimum wage, how much on average receive in Orthodox churches and are there jobs there, told RIA Novosti representatives of the legislature and of the Church.
“The priests no salary”
The magnificent white-stone Church of the Moscow Saints is one of the largest in the capital. Serve here, except of the Abbot Sergiy Rybko, seven priests and two deacons. Father Sergius, along with three priests and two deacons also serve in the temple of the Holy spirit in the Lazarevskoye cemetery. In addition, in both temples running man ten employees for the staffing. But many work for free.
And what you get paid the priests? “Such concepts have not. The priest is and should do even for free,” explains Serge. Employment contract priest “not on”, as well as employment history. “But ordinary employees enter into contracts, and they pay a salary,” added the Abbot.
The clergy, contrary to popular belief, living a wealthy life. “For example, in the village Church in Kaluga region get my friends a tiny amount and have to earn money,” continued the priest. It all depends on the size of donations, and this, in turn, — from the parish. In new churches, where there are almost no parishioners, donations to the clergy small. And in the old churches and large parishes remain money and staff. According to father Sergius, in Moscow today deacon earns an average of 20-30 thousand rubles a month:
In the rich Metropolitan churches that were not closed even in Soviet times, the abbots can get 100 thousand ordinary priests — 60-80 thousand. And in the villages in some churches pay nothing at all.
And clarifies that the average salary of the staff of religious institutions in Moscow is 18-20 thousand rubles, which corresponds to the capital’s minimum wage (SMIC).
The minimum wage is different
The Federal minimum wage in 2019, according to the law No. 481-FZ is set at the subsistence level: 11 280 rubles. No organization has the right to pay employees less, or a penalty of 50 thousand rubles. Each region is free to set the premium to the Federal minimum wage. So, in Moscow the minimum wage is 18 781 roubles, in Moscow region — 14 200.