Dear Editor, Your coverage of clerical remuneration (IC 18/07/2016) was of great interest to many of your readers.
What trade union would accept a situation where members with equal experience and qualifications were on 26 different pay scales?
Indeed from any cursory reading of the New Testament it is clear that Jesus treated all his disciples and followers equally.
Surely a simple and just solution would be to pay all monies received for the priests’ salaries into one bank account and to pay all curates and parish priests from this national fund on an equal basis and perhaps index-linked to inflation
With the rapid decline in the number of priests and no real drop in the collection plates it should be possible to pay all priests on the Clogher Scale without any adverse effect on Church finances.
As regards car expenses a central office could negotiate better terms for the clergy on car insurance, car finance fuel cards, purchase of tyres etc.
So it is surely time for the hierarchy to up their game and look after the clerical foot soldiers in a fair and efficient manner.
Yours etc.,
Liam de Paor
Carrickane, Co. Cavan.