In an unprecedented move reflecting the UK's cost-of-living challenges, Church of England vicars have submitted their first-ever formal pay claim, highlighting the impact of the crisis on clergy members.

Represented by trade union Unite, over 2,000 clergy and lay officers are demanding a 9.5 per cent&nbsp;increase in their stipend, effective April 2024.

"The Church of England has billions in the bank and can fully afford to pay its clergy the modest increase in their stipend they are seeking," Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said, pointing to the 10.3 billion pound ($13.20 billion) investment fund listed in the 2022 Annual Report of the Church Commissioners.

The Church of England spokesperson acknowledged the cost-of-living crisis affecting their clergy members, reported Reuters.

"We are mindful of this, and of issues of affordability for dioceses, in the deliberations over the annual recommendations for the minimum and benchmark stipend levels," the spokesperson told Reuters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/media-accuses-uk-tories-of-stifling-press-freedom-over-conference-charges-606382">Media accuses UK Tories of stifling press freedom over conference charges</a>

<h2>Church of England addresses clergy's financial struggles amid&nbsp;rising energy costs and inflation</h2>

To support clergy members grappling with soaring energy costs, the Church of England allocated a sum of $3.85 million&nbsp;last year for dioceses to provide grants. This initiative comes in the wake of widespread strike actions across various sectors in the UK, where workers are demanding higher wages in line with the current 40-year high inflation rates.

Unite, the trade union representing over 2,000 clergy and lay officers within the Church of England, has proposed a significant increase in the national minimum stipend to £29,340 ($37,600) and an upward adjustment of the national stipend benchmark to £31,335 ($40,155).&nbsp;These proposals aim to address the financial challenges faced by clergy members and ensure a more sustainable income.

"Last year many clergy had to turn to charitable aid because they couldn't make ends meet," said Sam Maginnis, a member of the clergy and Unite, who spoke to Reuters.

"The proposed increase is necessary to start bringing pay back in line with inflation while addressing the most urgent hardship and anxiety faced by too many clergy and their families," he added.

Also watch |&nbsp;UK's new trade scheme for developing nations

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The Church of England's remuneration committee is scheduled to convene next week to deliberate on the stipend matter. Subsequently, their recommendation will be presented to the Archbishop's Council in September for a final decision.

The efforts to improve clergy stipends demonstrate the Church's recognition of the financial strains experienced by its members. By allocating funds and considering salary adjustments, the Church aims to provide essential support to clergy struggling with the increasing cost of living, ensuring their well-being and enabling them to carry out their religious duties more effectively.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In an unprecedented move reflecting the UK's cost-of-living challenges, Church of England vicars have submitted their first-ever formal pay claim, highlighting the impact of the crisis on clergy members.

In an unprecedented move reflecting the UK's cost-of-living challenges, Church of England vicars have submitted their first-ever formal pay claim, highlighting the impact of the crisis on clergy members. Represented by trade union Unite, over 2,000 clergy and lay officers are demanding a 9.5 per cent increase in their stipend, effective April 2024. "The Church of England has billions in the bank and can fully afford to pay its clergy the modest increase in their stipend they are seeking," Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said, pointing to the 10.3 billion pound ($13.20 billion) investment fund listed in the 2022 Annual Report of the Church Commissioners. The Church of England spokesperson acknowledged the cost-of-living crisis affecting their clergy members, reported Reuters. "We are mindful of this, and of issues of affordability for dioceses, in the deliberations over the annual recommendations for the minimum and benchmark stipend levels," the spokesperson told Reuters. Also read | Media accuses UK Tories of stifling press freedom over conference charges Church of England addresses clergy's financial struggles amid rising energy costs and inflation To support clergy members grappling with soaring energy costs, the Church of England allocated a sum of $3.85 million last year for dioceses to provide grants. This initiative comes in the wake of widespread strike actions across various sectors in the UK, where workers are demanding higher wages in line with the current 40-year high inflation rates. Unite, the trade union representing over 2,000 clergy and lay officers within the Church of England, has proposed a significant increase in the national minimum stipend to £29,340 ($37,600) and an upward adjustment of the national stipend benchmark to £31,335 ($40,155). These proposals aim to address the financial challenges faced by clergy members and ensure a more sustainable income. "Last year many clergy had to turn to charitable aid because they couldn't make ends meet," said Sam Maginnis, a member of the clergy and Unite, who spoke to Reuters. "The proposed increase is necessary to start bringing pay back in line with inflation while addressing the most urgent hardship and anxiety faced by too many clergy and their families," he added. Also watch | UK's new trade scheme for developing nations The Church of England's remuneration committee is scheduled to convene next week to deliberate on the stipend matter. Subsequently, their recommendation will be presented to the Archbishop's Council in September for a final decision. The efforts to improve clergy stipends demonstrate the Church's recognition of the financial strains experienced by its members. By allocating funds and considering salary adjustments, the Church aims to provide essential support to clergy struggling with the increasing cost of living, ensuring their well-being and enabling them to carry out their religious duties more effectively. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Historic demand: Church of England clergy seek pay raise after 500 years

Weeks after Pope Francis returned from a six-day trip to Canada where he apologised to victims of sexual abuse by the Church, a Canadian cardinal named Marc Ouellet, regarded as a potential successor to him and having a high-ranking position within the Vatican has been accused of sexual assault.

Reportedly, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Cardinal Ouellet and more than 88 members of the clergy in the Quebec diocese. More than 100 victims have lent their weight to the civil lawsuit where some damning claims have been made.

Ouellet's name had not come up in the lawsuit up until now but according to court documents, an alleged victim, identified as 'F' stated that she was interning as a pastoral agent between 2008 and 2010 when the series of assaults by Ouellet took place. The victim added that most of the assaults took place during public events.&nbsp;

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Ouellet was the archbishop and head of the archdiocese at the time, parachuted from Rome. He had the authority to hire individuals as pastoral agents and thus his strong position may have forced the victim to keep quiet.

"He grabbed me and then...his hands on my back, they went down pretty low. Quite intrusive for, let's say for someone who is my superior, who is the archbishop of Quebec." said the victim on a Radio show.&nbsp;

"I felt chased after. It became more and more invasive, more and more intense to the point where I stopped attending events. I tried avoiding being in his presence as much as possible," the victim further added.&nbsp;

Read more:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/listening-to-evil-committed-at-catholic-run-schools-in-canada-felt-like-a-slap-pope-503332">&nbsp;Listening to 'evil' committed at Catholic-run schools in Canada felt like slaps: Pope</a>

The court documents further reveal that the victim went to the committee in charge of reviewing sexual allegations 10 years later where she shared her story.

The committee believed her and told her to file a complaint. The committee went to the Vatican in 2021 and filed the complaint. A virtual meeting was arranged between the victim and the Vatican church.

However, more than a year after the meeting, nothing has come out of it as Ouellet continues to hold a prominent public image.&nbsp;

It is pertinent to note that most of the 100-odd victims were sexually abused when they were minors by the priests and other staff with cases dating back to the 1940s.&nbsp;

With the victim 'F' shedding light on Ouellet, one of the big fishes, it is expected to open a pandora's box. In most cases, the abuser has not committed a sexual offence for the first time.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs believe that more such cases may be unearthed as the lawsuit receives public exposure.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Weeks after Pope Francis returned from a six-day trip to Canada where he apologised to victims of sexual abuse by the Church, a Canadian cardinal named Marc Ouellet, regarded as a potential successor to him and having a high-ranking position within the Vatican has been accused of sexual assault.

Weeks after Pope Francis returned from a six-day trip to Canada where he apologised to victims of sexual abuse by the Church, a Canadian cardinal named Marc Ouellet, regarded as a potential successor to him and having a high-ranking position within the Vatican has been accused of sexual assault. Reportedly, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Cardinal Ouellet and more than 88 members of the clergy in the Quebec diocese. More than 100 victims have lent their weight to the civil lawsuit where some damning claims have been made. Ouellet's name had not come up in the lawsuit up until now but according to court documents, an alleged victim, identified as 'F' stated that she was interning as a pastoral agent between 2008 and 2010 when the series of assaults by Ouellet took place. The victim added that most of the assaults took place during public events. WATCH | Pope in Canada to apologise for abuse of indigenous children × Ouellet was the archbishop and head of the archdiocese at the time, parachuted from Rome. He had the authority to hire individuals as pastoral agents and thus his strong position may have forced the victim to keep quiet. "He grabbed me and then...his hands on my back, they went down pretty low. Quite intrusive for, let's say for someone who is my superior, who is the archbishop of Quebec." said the victim on a Radio show. "I felt chased after. It became more and more invasive, more and more intense to the point where I stopped attending events. I tried avoiding being in his presence as much as possible," the victim further added. Read more: Listening to 'evil' committed at Catholic-run schools in Canada felt like slaps: Pope The court documents further reveal that the victim went to the committee in charge of reviewing sexual allegations 10 years later where she shared her story. The committee believed her and told her to file a complaint. The committee went to the Vatican in 2021 and filed the complaint. A virtual meeting was arranged between the victim and the Vatican church. However, more than a year after the meeting, nothing has come out of it as Ouellet continues to hold a prominent public image. It is pertinent to note that most of the 100-odd victims were sexually abused when they were minors by the priests and other staff with cases dating back to the 1940s. With the victim 'F' shedding light on Ouellet, one of the big fishes, it is expected to open a pandora's box. In most cases, the abuser has not committed a sexual offence for the first time. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs believe that more such cases may be unearthed as the lawsuit receives public exposure. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Canada: Weeks after Pope's visit, a prominent cardinal named in a sexual assault class lawsuit

France's Catholic Church has raised over $22 million as compensation for victims of child sexual abuse by clergy.

The&nbsp;dioceses&nbsp;had been facing intense pressure for turning a blind eye to the ''scourge'' for too long.

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A major investigation had revealed that French clergy sexually abused more than 200,000 children over the past 70 years.

The church had shown "deep, total and even cruel indifference for years," protecting itself rather than the victims of what was systemic abuse, said Jean-Marc Sauve, head of the commission that compiled the report.

An initial five million euros will be set aside for compensation claims being studied by an independent panel set up in the wake of the damning abuse report.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-the-vatican-protected-priests-involved-in-child-sex-abuse-342467">Also read |&nbsp;How the Vatican protected priests involved in child sex abuse</a>

Gilles Vermot-Desroches, the president of the Selam fund, said ''It's a first step. The Church has followed through on its commitment.''

The head of the French conference of bishops, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, said the church was shamed. Calling the report a "bombshell", he asked for forgiveness and promised to act.

The head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) has said the Church will sell off real estate and tap its financial holdings, and possibly take out bank loans to raise the money.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/breach-of-privacy-uk-church-leaders-protest-against-vaccine-passport-378460">Also read |&nbsp;Breach of privacy: UK church leaders protest against vaccine passport</a>

Critics accuse Francis of responding too slowly to the sex abuse scandals, of failing to empathise with victims and of blindly believing the word of his fellow clergy.

The revelations, which showed the problem in France was more widespread than previously thought, were the latest to rock the Roman Catholic Church, after a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, often involving children.

The French findings came a year after Britain said the Catholic Church had received more than 900 complaints involving over 3,000 instances of child sex abuse in England and Wales between 1970 and 2015, and that there had been more than 100 reported allegations a year since 2016.

(With inputs from agencies)

France's Catholic Church has raised over $22 million as compensation for victims of child sexual abuse by clergy. The dioceses had been facing intense pressure for turning a blind eye to the ''scourge'' for too long.

France's Catholic Church has raised over $22 million as compensation for victims of child sexual abuse by clergy. The dioceses had been facing intense pressure for turning a blind eye to the ''scourge'' for too long. A major investigation had revealed that French clergy sexually abused more than 200,000 children over the past 70 years. The church had shown "deep, total and even cruel indifference for years," protecting itself rather than the victims of what was systemic abuse, said Jean-Marc Sauve, head of the commission that compiled the report. An initial five million euros will be set aside for compensation claims being studied by an independent panel set up in the wake of the damning abuse report. Also read | How the Vatican protected priests involved in child sex abuse Gilles Vermot-Desroches, the president of the Selam fund, said ''It's a first step. The Church has followed through on its commitment.'' The head of the French conference of bishops, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, said the church was shamed. Calling the report a "bombshell", he asked for forgiveness and promised to act. The head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) has said the Church will sell off real estate and tap its financial holdings, and possibly take out bank loans to raise the money. Also read | Breach of privacy: UK church leaders protest against vaccine passport Critics accuse Francis of responding too slowly to the sex abuse scandals, of failing to empathise with victims and of blindly believing the word of his fellow clergy. The revelations, which showed the problem in France was more widespread than previously thought, were the latest to rock the Roman Catholic Church, after a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, often involving children. The French findings came a year after Britain said the Catholic Church had received more than 900 complaints involving over 3,000 instances of child sex abuse in England and Wales between 1970 and 2015, and that there had been more than 100 reported allegations a year since 2016. (With inputs from agencies)

France: After facing intense pressure, Catholic Church raises over $22 million for sex abuse victims

A much-awaited independent study has revealed that hundreds of sexual violence cases have been committed by Germany's clergy and laymen in the European nation's top diocese.

The 800-page report on the Cologne diocese was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church and uncovered 202 perpetrators of sexual assault and 314 victims between 1975 and 2018.&nbsp;

"More than half of the victims were children under the age of 14," Bjoern Gercke, a lawyer mandated by the Church, told reporters.

While the results of the report were shocking, the investigation has cleared Cologne's Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki's name.&nbsp;

Woelki is a conservative who has long resisted reform, of breach of duty over the abuse. Series of protests were carried out against him after it was alleged that he refused to allow publication of an earlier study based on abuse committed by priests from his diocese.

The conservative, however, defended his decision by citing a right to privacy of the alleged culprits in the report and had also raised the question of lack of independence on part of some of the researchers.

His approach, however, was called a "disaster" by Georg Baetzing, president of the German bishops' conference.

Woelki is now suspending two Cologne Church officials, bishop Dominikus Schwaderlapp and the head of a diocese court, Guenter Assenmacher, with immediate effect and has held them responsible for a "cover-up" of several child abuse cases.

He has also assured that he will carry a detailed reading of the report and issue more concrete measures next week against the alleged culprits.

"The tragedy of Cologne regarding the report and the archbishop overshadowed this aspect," the government commissioner on child sexual abuse, Johannes-Wilhelm Roerig said.

A much-awaited independent study has revealed that hundreds of sexual violence cases have been committed by Germany's clergy and laymen in the European nation's top diocese.

A much-awaited independent study has revealed that hundreds of sexual violence cases have been committed by Germany's clergy and laymen in the European nation's top diocese. The 800-page report on the Cologne diocese was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church and uncovered 202 perpetrators of sexual assault and 314 victims between 1975 and 2018. "More than half of the victims were children under the age of 14," Bjoern Gercke, a lawyer mandated by the Church, told reporters. While the results of the report were shocking, the investigation has cleared Cologne's Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki's name. Woelki is a conservative who has long resisted reform, of breach of duty over the abuse. Series of protests were carried out against him after it was alleged that he refused to allow publication of an earlier study based on abuse committed by priests from his diocese. The conservative, however, defended his decision by citing a right to privacy of the alleged culprits in the report and had also raised the question of lack of independence on part of some of the researchers. His approach, however, was called a "disaster" by Georg Baetzing, president of the German bishops' conference. Woelki is now suspending two Cologne Church officials, bishop Dominikus Schwaderlapp and the head of a diocese court, Guenter Assenmacher, with immediate effect and has held them responsible for a "cover-up" of several child abuse cases. He has also assured that he will carry a detailed reading of the report and issue more concrete measures next week against the alleged culprits. "The tragedy of Cologne regarding the report and the archbishop overshadowed this aspect," the government commissioner on child sexual abuse, Johannes-Wilhelm Roerig said.

Hundreds of child sex abuse cases revealed in German diocese: Report

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