How much does a priest or nun earn in Spain? Do you have a fixed salary? Does the Church pay for your house? These are questions that many ask, but few know how to answer. There has always been a kind of silence in the religious world when it comes to their finances and how they manage their economy and even more so when it comes to salaries. On the YouTube channel It has to be a jokethe priest ‘Padre Roque’ has explained topics such as the composition of the salary of a diocesan priest, as well as others, what happens when retirement arrives, how priests contribute or other topics that generate doubts outside the Church.
Regarding the salary of a priest, the reality is much more modest than some believe. “They charge about 800 fixed euros in payroll,” says Father Roque. That is the salary base of a “normal” priest or a parish priest, as he explains.
A salary of 800 fixed euros and more bonuses for seniority
The base salary of a diocesan priest is around 800 euros per month. The so-called three-year periods are added to that amount: “Each three-year period they raise you 10 euros per month,” he points out. That is, for every three years of service, the salary increases slightly.
But your total salary doesn’t stop there. The parishes complement these incomes with other concepts. “The parish complements with 300 euros called stipends for the celebration of masses,” he details. To this we must add that the church “provides you with housing along with electricity and water.”
In practice, therefore, a priest’s support is divided into two parts: one economic, via payroll and stipends, and another in kind, through the use of a parish house with supplies included.
Who pays the priests?
In the case of Father Roque, he is a secular diocesan priest. This means that it legally depends on a specific diocese and that its relationship is similar to that of any worker with his or her company.
“We are normal citizens,” he explains. “Our concept is that we have, a payroll; you contribute to the social security and all that.” In your case, payment comes from the diocese. Even when he works as a university professor, he receives an additional amount, which is about 150 euros per month, also paid by the diocese.
This situation differs from that of religious belonging to orders such as Jesuits or Salesians. In these congregations, members do not receive an individual salary as such, but their personal needs (clothing, vacations or daily expenses) are covered by the community.
This is how a parish sustains itself economically
The maintenance of the parishes does not depend exclusively on the financial allocation of the Church. As the priest explains, the ordinary life of a parish is supported mainly by the donations of the faithful.
In his case, as parish priest of San Juan, he emphasizes that current expenses are covered with the voluntary contributions of those who attend mass. In addition, there is an obligation of transparency: each year they must publish on the parish door the details of income and expenses, specifying how much has been collected and what has been invested.
Do priests retire?
Another common doubt is what happens when a priest ages. “We have like two moments,” he explains. From the age of 65, the priest ceases to depend financially on the Church and begins to live on what he has contributed during his working life.
That is, he begins to collect his pension like any other worker. However, you can continue to receive the 300 euros for Mass stipends if you continue celebrating them, and in some cases maintain the use of housing.
Of course, the parish house is not the property of the priest. It belongs to the parish. When you stop practicing in it, you must abandon it. Then you have several options: move to your own home, if you have one, or enter a priestly residence.
“Until the body can take it,” summarizes the interviewer. And Father Roque does not deny it. Although administrative retirement reaches 65, many continue celebrating Mass and collaborating in pastoral tasks as long as their health allows.
In short, the economic life of a diocesan priest in Spain is far from myths. Their base salary is around 800 euros per month, supplemented by stipends and housing, with Social Security contributions and subsequent access to a contributory pension like any other citizen.