The money it costs to maintain a church "is a taboo subject" for the parishioners of Santo Cristo de Valdepeñas, in Ciudad Real.
This is what its parish priest, Emilio Montes, thinks, who on October 4 lectured in a tone between severe and sarcastic to those attending the mass and reprimanded them for not contributing enough money for the works to improve the temple.
"Nobody has asked me how much there is to pay," Montes reprimanded them in a sermon broadcast on the parish's YouTube channel, which the parish priest asked not to be cut.
"You see that [the money pending payment] does not matter to you," he snaps at them with a half smile.
The 10-minute tirade has overwhelmed the limited audience of the parochial channel to be the subject of comments on social networks.
Montes reproached his parishioners for not contributing or not contributing enough to pay for part of the 1,100,000 euros that the reform works of the church have cost, a temple that has its origin in the seventeenth century, an intervention that is It has dragged on for eight years and it has finally opened this month.
"How much is left to pay? Well, 80,000 euros, 60,000 of them is a loan with Globalcaja (...) until 2033."
In the video, you can see how ugly it is that some only pay six euros a month in the contributions they give through direct debit charges in their bank accounts.
"There are many people (...) who have even been catechists, who since I arrived at the parish 11 years ago they only give six euros," he complains, adding: "I cheated them and told them: 'Ah, are you the one who told me to raise you to 10?', like this, playing dumb. "
"No, I am very satisfied with the six," he assures that the parishioner replied.
At another point, he complains that there are parishioners who have withdrawn the receipts for his monthly contribution to the parish because he did not want them to celebrate a baptism.
That has meant the parish coffers lose 50 euros a month.
"Worse for them, we have also left," says Montes.
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It is not the only particular case in which the priest stops.
"I remember that someone, who I know what he charges because it is a public salary published in the municipal accounts [told me]: 'I am very close to culture, I am going to give you a receipt for the parish ...'. I'm still waiting for him, and he collects more than 36,000 euros from the public purse every year. "
Another of the parishioners, always according to the long account of the priest, has told him "more than 15 times" that he was going to give him his account number so that he could pass the charge.
"15 times in eight years and he still has not brought it to me! And the other day he called me to find him a position for the inauguration. I say: 'You are the first, you", details the religious, "the first", to the laughter of those attending the mass.
"I pay attention to everything. That I shut up, that I keep quiet more than it seems, does not mean that I am stupid," continues the priest.
The current expenses of the temple suppose, among others, 500 euros of electricity per month, which in the winter months reach 1,500, and 800 euros a year in insurance, specifies Montes, who highlights that the stoppage in the celebrations during confinement emptied in part the coffers of his parish.
"Think that on the Sunday that you don't come and don't put, the expenses continue. We have been three months without coming. Three months without putting, but the expenses continued."
However, after the reopening of the churches, the situation has not improved and the brush continues to suffer.
"Last week there were days of collection of the three Sunday Masses that did not reach 250 euros and the parish to support itself has to take around 400", says the parish priest.
In the sermon, Montes also urged attendees to increase their contributions.
"If two payrolls enter my house, why can't I pay two receipts, 10, 15 euros? (...) Then it deducts the Treasury," he points out.
"To those of you who are still thinking about it because 'the thing is very
achuchá
and maybe giving 10 euros or 15 euros or 20 euros is the ruin of my house', think about it, that's what a round of beers is worth "He tells them before saying goodbye:" Have a happy Sunday, have a happy week. You can go in peace. "
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