Cathnews
May 3, 2010
http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=21060
Adelaide's Catholic Archdiocese has cut 13 staff and restructured several other positions in a bid to save $3 million.
In a letter to the clergy and pastoral directors, Archbishop Philip Wilson said 13 people were made redundant, five had their hours cut to part-time and six were redeployed into other Catholic agencies, according to the Adelaide Advertiser.
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Twelve who quit over the past eight months would not be replaced, he wrote.
"These decisions . . . will save the diocese approximately $3 million per year," the report cites Archbishop Philip Wilson saying in a letter to the clergy and pastoral directors.
"Our only course of action is to reduce our salary bill. Salaries, together with interest payments, make up 80 percent of the total budget."
There is also a freeze on new employment, the report said.
A Catholic Church spokeswoman said the Archdiocese's income came from incorporated body, the Catholic Church Endowment Society Inc, interests from deposits in the church's treasury, the Catholic Development Fund, a small number of properties that have a rental income such as the SA Water building and a small number of donations and bequests that do not go direct to causes or parishes.
Monsignor David Cappo said the financial crisis was not caused by compensation payouts to sexual abuse victims.
"It's simply to do with the salaries bill exceeding our income," he said.
Monsignor Cappo said while the church was asset rich, few buildings across Adelaide could be sold off.
"The majority of our assets are churches, presbyteries and schools and it is difficult to use these assets differently," Monsignor Cappo said.
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