Do Parish Priests need to be paid?

[jesusandyou]

The common conception is that Catholic Priests are not paid their wages. I mean getting a pay stub as someone works for an Employer. Is that true?

[DavidFilmer]

Some priests are members of a Religious Order (ie, Fransiscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, etc). Members of a religious order take a vow of poverty. The exact definition of "poverty" varies among different Orders - some are very strict (where the members own absolutely nothing) and some not as strict (where some very small amount of property ownership is OK).  Priests who are members of a religious order might receive no pay at all, or they may receive a very small stipend (a few dollars a month).

Other priests are "Diocesean" and work for the Bishop of the Diocese (this is the type of priest that RevEric is).  They do not usually take a vow of poverty, so they usually receive a regular check and pay taxes like any other citizen. In the US, the pay is generally rather small (considerably less than the amount someone could make working a 40-hour week with the lowest legal hourly wage). However, most priests also have their basic living needs provided for them.

Of course, if a man wishes to be a priest, it is his choice whether to prusue a Diocesean or a Religious (with a vow of poverty) vocation. RevEric spent a year as a novice in the Dominican Order (without taking vows), but decided he was called to a Diocesean vocation instead. No priest is required to work without pay, though he may freely choose this if he wishes.

The amount of a priest's pay (if he gets any) is set by his superior (his bishop or the leader of his Religious Order).  So a priest who has a large and wealthy congregation does not make more money than the priest operating a small mission church (unlike many protestant churches, where pastors of large congregations might be very highly paid).

It's not good in Christian spirituality to have an excesseve attachment to wealth, and priests are called to live this example moreso than the laity. So nobody gets rich being a Catholic priest! In the US, all priests are college-educated, and most have master's degrees (RevEric has two master's degrees). In a business profession, a person with one or two master's degrees could expect to earn AT LEAST 75,000 US dollars per year (nearly 3.5 million India Rupees), and with experience this figure could easily exceed $100,000 (4.63 million Rupees). So priests, with their small salaries, are surely not in it for the money! They could make a LOT more money in a different profession.

Let us be grateful to the Lord for the gift of vocations that inspire young men to forsake wealth and female companionship in order to serve the people of God!

[Seeker]

Let us be grateful to the Lord for the gift of vocations that inspire young men to forsake wealth and female companionship in order to serve the people of God!

A big AMEN to that David!  Let's keep all the religious in our prayers.

[jesusandyou]

I appreciate the hardship many Catholic priests take to serve God. There are Catholics who are dedicated.

This is my next question. If you are a priest and belong to the Religous Order, are you enpowered to raise money or collect money? If you collect money, where does that go to?

My next qn is how do you raise money to pay for the priests? Is tithing mandatory?

[Seeker]

A suggested tithing is 10% but it is not "mandatory."  Catholic faithful give a portion of their income to the Church or other charities based on their own discretion and discernment.

[Matthias]

So nobody gets rich being a Catholic priest!

Unless they are taking the extra money from the collection? This also happens sometimes, yes?

[jesusandyou]

What about the Priests who are visiting their Parish member’s house and having hearty dinner? Is that equivalent to getting paid?

Don't tell me that Priests have to meet their necessities. I don't think Chicken Fry is a necessity   .

[Seeker]

That is not the equivalent to being paid.  When I have a guest over for dinner, whether they are a friend, a relative, or a priest (who could also be a friend or relative of mine) I would never consider that dinner as payment for anything.  I think any priest would be insulted if I did such a thing because I felt I had to "pay" them for something.

[jesusandyou]

So thats a question of insult. If the Priest can sacrifice themselves a lot for example by not marrying, can't they refrain from eating the Chicken Fry from your home?

[DavidFilmer]

Any priest may, if he wishes, decline a dinner invitation (many would, actually). A dinner invitation is a GIFT, not a payment. No priest takes a vow not to accept gifts. But marriage is another matter, because ALL priests take a vow not to marry.

Some priests, actually, would not eat the chicken, but would graciously accept whatever breads or vegetables were offered (Carmelite priests, for example, do not eat meat).