(Bratislava) – The gradual separation of Churches and religious associations from the State has inspired various activities in all Catholic dioceses of the Czech Republic in the past two years. A fund for the support of the clergy and pastoral projects, established by the Diocese of Brno in 2016, is one of them, having already brought some interesting results. “We are practically getting ready for a time when we will no longer receive contributions from the State, as provided for in the law on the restitution of our property adopted a few years ago”, explains Fr. Pavel Kafka, custodian of the fund. Its aim is to collect money for several purposes: 70% is invested in salaries, education and formation of the clergy, 20% in technical and economical support of around 450 parishes of the diocese, and 10% is spent on various pastoral projects and activities. According to the Bishopric of Brno, the fund represents one of the first examples of separate diocesan management. The collection of money is based on several sources, with the fundamental support of individual donors, mainly parishioners. From the beginning of 2017, donations including collections for special purposes have amounted to 21,500,000 CZK (826,940 EUR). For more information: www.fond.biskupstvi.cz.