The bishop responsible for Catholic aid agency Cafod has defended the
salary paid to its director following criticism of charity executives'
pay.Bishop John Arnold, chairman of the trustees of Cafod, said that Chris Bain's salary, which is £90,464, should be seen in the context of a competitive market, was relatively low compared to similar charities and necessary in order for Cafod to remain among the best aid organisations.
Research published by the Daily Telegraph revealed that Christian Aid director Loretta Minghella earns £126,072; Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive of Save the Children earns £163,000 and Sir Nick Young, chief executive of the Red Cross earns £184,000.
Bishop Arnold told The Tablet that for the Church to insist employees be paid less than colleagues in other charities would be neither realistic nor sensible.