Catholic priests and deacons in northern, eastern and central Europe will receive €5.25 million in 2018 from the Diaspora Kommissariat of the German Bishops. The money has been allocated during the meeting of the Management Committee which met at the headquarters of the Bonifatiuswerk in Paderborn. Funds have been allocated to wage subsidies, as well as to finance transportation and the construction of homes in financially weak dioceses. Due to the lack of funds and state support, dioceses in northern, eastern and central Europe have no financial means to help priests, which is why the support of the German Church is essential. In 2018, €4.45 million will be allocated to support the Bishops’ Conference of the Nordic Countries while €670,000 will be destined to support priests in central and eastern Europe. Most of the funding, up to €2.65 million, is necessary for the financial support of priests in northern Europe; €300,000 will be used for the purchase of vehicles used to travel the long distances between communities in the parishes and dioceses of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. €1.5 million will go to the construction and maintenance of houses for priests. “It is a strong sign of solidarity by the German priests towards other priests, in support of the Diaspora Kommissariat – said the Executive Director, Mgr. Georg Austen –: the fast growing Church in northern European countries is a materially poor Church which also depends on the solidarity of the German Catholics”.