Left-Wing Party Proposes Bill to End State Funding of Church Fund

In brief

• Nowa Lewica submitted a bill to abolish the state-financed Church Fund, which covers clergy social security costs .
• The proposal mandates that churches and clergy share the costs of these contributions equally, with each party covering 50% .
• The bill was introduced because the government failed to agree on reforms for over two years .
• The PSL has announced its opposition to the proposed legislation .

Bill to End State Funding of Clergy Contributions

Nowa Lewica submitted a bill to the Sejm proposing the abolition of the Church Fund, a mechanism financed entirely by the state budget to cover social security costs for clergy (Lewica rusza po Fundusz Kościelny. PSL zapowiada sprzeciw – Bankier.pl). The party stated that this action follows the government's inability to reach a consensus on reforms through an inter-ministerial team for over two years (Fundusz Kościelny do likwidacji? Znamy szczegóły nowego projektu – RMF24).

Under the proposed changes, the financial burden for clergy social insurance contributions would be divided equally between the religious institutions and the clergy (Będzie projekt likwidacji Funduszu Kościelnego – Business Insider Polska). Specifically, the draft stipulates that churches would cover half of the contributions, while the clergy themselves would cover the other half. Members of enclosed religious orders and missionaries would be exempt from this shared cost, with their contributions being fully financed by their respective orders.

Stance of the Proponents

Anna Maria Żukowska, the head of the Nowa Lewica club, asserted that the party fulfilled its electoral promise by introducing the change and would not wait for a government initiative. She argued that the proposal is fair and that religious organizations should achieve financial self-sufficiency (Lewica chce likwidacji Funduszu Kościelnego. Ujawniono szczegóły – Onet). Senate deputy speaker Magdalena Biejat commented that the current system is inequitable, noting that while ordinary citizens fund their own pensions, clergy benefit from public funding (Lewica zabiega o likwidację Funduszu Kościelnego. "Niesprawiedliwy system" – Dziennik.pl). She called for fixing the existing structure. Party leader Włodzimierz Czarzasty stated during a press conference that the state needs to become secular, expressing impatience with the status quo.

Reaction and Next Steps

The Polish People's Party (PSL) has announced its opposition to the bill. The Church Fund has generated considerable debate among voters and politicians, with opinions split between those advocating for its removal and those defending the current arrangement (Fundusz Kościelny do likwidacji? Posłowie składają do Sejmu projekt ustawy – GazetaPrawna.pl). Since this is a deputies' initiative, it will proceed through the standard legislative procedures within the Sejm.