Cash for baptisms: German diocese questions Catholic millionaire’s $550 offer

A Bavaria, Germany-based investor is offering families 500 euros ($545) for every child they have baptized in a group of Catholic parishes near Munich.

The local diocese has acknowledged the donorʼs intentions but stressed that, from the Churchʼs point of view, there is no financial barrier to baptism in the first place.

Peter Löw, a Starnberg-based investor and practicing Catholic, has set aside 20,000 euros ($21,800) for the initiative, which he calls “Starnberger Schutzengelchen” (“Little Starnberg Guardian Angel”).

The amount is enough to cover up to 40 baptisms this year.

Support for families in expensive region To qualify, a child must be no older than 3 and registered in the Catholic parish community of Starnberg, a lakeside area about 17 miles south of Munich.

The town of Starnberg on Lake Starnberg, south of Munich. | Credit: Frank Lambert/Shutterstock

Prized for its scenery and its short commute to the city, Starnberg has drawn an influx of wealthy newcomers that has made it one of the richest districts in Germany, with among the countryʼs highest incomes and property prices. The same pressure has driven up housing costs for local families, some of whom,…