London, England, Apr 17, 2020 / 05:00 am
The coronavirus crisis could have a "catastrophic effect" on the finances of England's most prominent Catholic cathedral, officials have said.
An appeal for donations on the website of Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of Catholics in England and Wales, said the pandemic "has brought to the cathedral a very real threat to its financial stability".
The cancelation of public Masses would significantly reduce the cathedral's income, the statement explained.
The cost of running the cathedral is currently $3 million per year, or approximately $58,000 a week. The cathedral was already facing an operational shortfall of $7,500 per week before the crisis.