Metropolitan Hilarion told how to survive closed churches

As the pandemic coronavirus COVID-19 affected the Finance of the Russian churches closed because of forced restrictive measures? As the Church is going to fix the situation? Where it will take the compensatory reserves? This was told in the program “Church and world” on TV channel “Russia 24” Chairman of the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion.

According to him, this situation was not only the Russian Orthodox Church, but all religious organizations. Help them “comes from different sides,” including from the state and business representatives.

the state Duma passed a bill on exemption of religious organizations and NGOs from taxes and insurance premiums for the second quarter of 2020. This, says Hilarion, very substantial support.

the decision is Also made about the release of the benefactors from the payment of income tax for the amount that they donate to religious organizations. There are a number of initiatives that came from the benefactors.

for Example, donors made a donation that will allow us to pay salaries to the priests of Moscow in two months.

“This is a significant sum and a very significant donation,” — said Metropolitan Hilarion.

in addition, each religious organization has its own internal measures to minimize losses. In particular, by the decision of Patriarch Kirill by 25 percent reduced the amount of contributions from the dioceses, stavropegic monasteries and parishes of Moscow in the General Church Treasury. Of course, it will affect religious institutions that receive grants from the General Church Treasury. First of all it is a spiritual educational institution and the Synodal departments — they are now also revising their estimates downward.