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Church Fund. Dziemianowicz-Bąk: we propose that social insurance contributions be paid equally by the clergy and the church
Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk (Left) announced that, under the Left’s proposal for the dissolution of the Church Fund, social insurance contributions would be split equally, with 50 percent coming from clergy and 50 percent from the Church that employs them. She stressed that the Fund should not serve as the „ZUS of the clergy”.
During a press conference on Wednesday, the head of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy reminded that she had submitted a proposal to add a draft bill for the dissolution of the Church Fund to the government’s legislative agenda. In her view, the Church Fund „cannot be the ‘ZUS of the clergy’ and needs to be abolished”.
Liquidation of the Church Fund. Dziemianowicz-Bąk on the proposal
She shared that in the proposed legislation, the Left Club and her ministry suggest that the clergy and the churches jointly fund contributions for their pensions and retirement benefits. She emphasized that this should be a 50:50 split, meaning that 50 percent of the contributions would be the responsibility of the clergyman and the remaining 50 percent would be covered by the Church, which employs the individual or the religious organization – as stated by Dziemianowicz-Bąk.
Furthermore, she noted that this arrangement would not apply to clergy serving in religious orders or missions who do not earn an income, in which case the Church or religious association would be responsible for 100 percent of the contributions.
As the leader of MRPiPS indicated, currently, 95% of the Church Fund’s expenditures are related to social insurance contributions for clergy. She further mentioned that the remaining funds are allocated for various purposes, including monument preservation and charitable initiatives. „I want to clarify from this point that these matters (…) will certainly remain unchanged,” she asserted.
– There are adequate funds: the Monument Protection Fund and the Public Benefit Organization Support Fund, which can, should, and will be supplemented by this small portion of the current Church Fund, if our proposal is realized, but the financing structure for clergy pensions and retirement benefits must be reformed – she stated.
Read more: „Enough waiting”. There is a motion regarding the Church Fund >>>
„Separation of the Throne from the Altar”
At a press conference on Monday, the New Left’s presidential candidate, Senate Deputy Speaker Magdalena Biejat, alongside Left caucus chairwoman Anna Maria Żukowska and Sejm Deputy Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty, presented data on the extent of state funding for the Church during the eight years of PiS governance. According to Żukowska, ministries disbursed nearly PLN 10 billion to the Church in that period.
The Left leaders reiterated their promise made during the 2023 parliamentary election campaign to „separate the throne from the altar”. They also pointed out that this same demand was included among the „100 specifics” pledged to voters by the Civic Coalition.
Inter-ministerial Team for the Church Fund
The parliamentarians also highlighted that in January 2024, Prime Minister Donald Tusk established an Inter-Ministerial Team for the Church Fund, led by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense, and President of the Polish People’s Party, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. The politicians underscored that the team has made minimal progress on this issue thus far.
Formed in January of the previous year, the team is tasked with developing a strategy for modifying the operation of the Church Fund as well as the funding principles for contributions and benefits from social and health insurance for clergy. At the end of February, the team’s chairman expressed his support for converting the Church Fund into a tax deduction.
Church Fund
The Church Fund was created by the Act of 20 March 1950. The intention was to serve as compensation for Churches and religious organizations for properties seized by the state. It was designed to establish an estate from which the income would be distributed among the Churches in proportion to the size of the confiscated properties.
The Church Fund benefits all religious organizations that legally operate in Poland, including those that were not present in the country in 1950 and did not lose any real estate.
