Folia Canonica 12. (2009)
STUDIES - Péter Artner: The remuneration of diocesan clerics
THE REMUNERATION OF DIOCESAN CLERICS 21 The Church, like a compassionate mother, is to provide the punished cleric his daily bread and to endeavor to bring about an amendment from his civil course. In terms of justice, however, the priest has no claim to this support from the Church he has seriously damaged by his demeanor.72 VI. Comparing the CIC and CCEO The greatest difference between CIC and CCEO is that in the latter the family of the clerics’ has a larger importance: the CCEO speaks about the family of the cleric, if he is married, and care has to be taken of them, too. This has to be taken into consideration in the Latin Code, if the remuneration of a married deacon comes up. The c. 1021 of CCEO calls for the “suitable and fundamentally equal” support of clerics; while the Latin Code (c. 1274, §1) by its omission of that phrase would seem to allow for differences in the remuneration of clerics in the same diocese.73 The Eastern Code in c. 1410 speaks about the clerics under a penalty, and writes that the Hierarch (eparch) has to safeguard the cleric’s rights arising from insurance and social security as well as health insurance for him and his family if he is married (CCEO c. 192, §5). In canonical practice CCEO can be used as parallel place for CIC if the meaning (or application) of a law remains doubtful or obscure (CIC c. 17). This can come up in case of some questions of remuneration. VII. Support of other ecclesiasticals Not only clerics are to be supported but laics,74 75 too, if they are working for the Church.73 The lay persons who are devoted to the special service of the Church have the “right” to remuneration. The lay persons who serve the church are not only those directly involved in pastoral ministry, but also others such as musicians, housekeepers, secretaries, etc.76 They have to have the correct wage for their work. 72 Okoh 100. 73 K. McKenna — L. DiNaro — J. Pokusa (eds.), Church Finance Handbook, Washington 1999, 39. 7<§ 2, c. 231. 75 Bertone 65. 76 Morrisey 35.
