CNA Staff, Dec 10, 2020 / 15:00 pm
The Catholic Church in France estimates that it lost more than $100 million due to the country's two coronavirus lockdowns this year.
"With the two lockdowns in the spring and fall, and consequently the impossibility for Catholics to attend Mass, nearly 90 million euros could not be collected locally in the dioceses across the country," the French bishops' conference announced in a statement Dec. 9.
Collections taken up during the Mass, together with offerings made for weddings, baptisms and funerals, make up 53% of the Church's resources, according to the bishops.
The suspension of public Masses for multiple months this year therefore led to a drop in parish resources of 30-40%.