Prague, May 7 (CTK) – Czech churches and religious associations received over 3.6 billion crowns from the state in 2017, which is 142.4 million crowns more than in 2016, and 2.1 billion crowns in annual financial compensation for property that cannot be returned according to the relevant law.
Most money sent to churches in 2017, some 1.6 billion crowns, came from the culture and education ministries’ budget each. The former ministry covers the operation of registered churches in the country, while the latter supports the schools established by churches.
With the total of 3.6 billion crowns allocated from the state budget in 2017, churches and religious associations thus received 4 percent more money year-on-year. Ninety-five percent of the sum were contributions paid by the culture, education and social affairs ministries.
However, the state contribution for the activities of churches is decreasing in connection with the ongoing church property restitution and it will drop to zero by 2030. It was 1.3 billion crowns in 2017.
As concerns the financial compensation for the property that cannot be returned to churches based on law, 2.1 billion crowns were paid last year. The law on property settlement of the state with churches is not only to straighten property injustice, but also to establish a new relationship of the state and churches, after which they will operate independently.
Apart from the pay for the priests, the Culture Ministry also provided 283 million crowns to churches in subsidies for heritage conservation.
The Education Ministry sent almost 1.6 billion crowns to church education and almost 1.9 billion crowns for that of other religious associations.
In 2017, there were 138 church schools, pre-schools and school facilities in the Czech Republic, which received by 142.4 million crowns more money than in 2016.
The Labour and Social Affairs Ministry sent 284 million crowns to churches, of which 91 million were for social care services, 54.6 million crowns were for active employment policy, 75.8 million crowns were for social programmes of the Czech Republic and the EU and 32.8 million crowns as a state contribution for towards foster care.
The Foreign Ministry also released funds for churches in 2017, some 85 million crowns, of which 59.1 million were for foreign development aid and 21.8 million for humanitarian aid.
The Agriculture Ministry allocated 45 million crowns to churches, the Office of Government 8.7 million crowns, the Environment Ministry 2.5 million crowns, the Health Ministry 9.9 million crowns, the Justice Ministry 1.1 million crowns and the Interior Ministry 12.7 million crowns. The Regional Development Ministry provided almost 8.6 million crowns to churches.
