Church Salaries

Church, Bishop, Debts, Salary of a Priest

From the book The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law, about Church, Bishop, Debts, Salary of a Priest (1): Where a church is not itself liable because it is not incorporated, the Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese is not personally liable for moneys borrowed by the pastors of such church in the name of the church, which were partly invested in real estate which was put in the bishop’s name in the usual manner, although the bishop’s permission was necessary before borrowing the money, and notwithstanding that the bishop raised some of the money to pay some of the debts and the mortgage on the real estate of the church on his personal security, and he received part of the borrowed funds from a dying pastor and handed it over to his successor.309 Also, a bishop is not personally liable for the salary of a priest whom he engages. They are fellow servants working for the Church and not in the relation of employer and employee any more than are a general and captain in the same army.310

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Notes and References

1. Charles M. Scanlan, The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law. The Law of Church and Grave (1909), Benziger Brothers, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago

See Also

• Religion
• Church