Malta donation box:
"Help me become a priest."
No wonder so many priests don't like the Pope.
The other day commenting on the money changers in the Temple, the Holy Father said:
Churches "cannot be run as a business, with a price list for sacraments. Money is needed for the buildings? Give gratuitousness and God will do the rest” - Read the rest here.Alas, so many are operating like businesses.
I've seen 'price lists'. I've seen recommended dollar amounts for 'stole fees' and other services as well. Catholics have always made offering and made the recommended stipend for Mass or the sacraments, but it was always a free-will offering. Of course things are slightly different these days, when even 'spiritual direction' has turned into a counselling business. For laity who put out a shingle, that's pretty much to be expected, but I'm not sure it's a priestly thing to expect payment. A gratuitous donation is certainly appreciated, but ...
Online I've seen priests with their donate apps, increasing their suggested monthly donation rate, one guy recently upped his from $5- to $10-. Lately I've been barraged with professional marketing gimmicks, filling up my mail box with expensive mailings from Catholic Basilica's, religious orders, and other charities. They send booklets, assorted gifts of note papers and personalized address labels, as well as rosaries and medals - all slickly packaged with pleas for donations. Some even follow up with a 'how did you like your gift?' letter, asking for a minimal donation to cover the expense of mailing the calendar and note pads, etc.. It was unsolicited in the first place - someone probably sold my name to them or their agency doing the marketing for them.
This is the work of Catholic marketing groups - working 'for the Church' using secular marketing strategies - paid for by the charity or institution - with the promise of prayers for your donation. Strangely enough - in some cases, the donation may just cover expenses. They send out junk, unwanted kitsch. It's money changers business - figuratively in the 'temple precincts'. I see online marketers advertising to improve church fundraising with these nuisance strategies which guilt and manipulate people into giving.
I prefer the Pope's vision for the Church. A poor Church supported by the devout and grateful who give out of love, devotion and thanksgiving. Church support will be there - going commercial is not the way to get it.
This is yet another "straw man" argument from Francis. I have never, EVER, seen parishes "charge" for the Sacraments. Do they ask for a donation use of facilities? Yes. Someone needs to pay for electricity, heat/air conditioning, cleaning, maintenance, etc. It's a matter of justice. But that is a FAR CRY from "charging" for the Sacraments or running a parish as a business. I have never, EVER, heard of a priest saying someone cannot be Baptized, Confess, go to the Holy Sacrifice, be Confirmed, be Married, be anointed, or have a funeral because they can't afford to pay the suggested donation for the facilities. The is just another proof among many proofs that Francis loves setting up conservative "straw men" in order to rail against faithful priests. One has to wonder why he has such an axe to grind against priests. I feel sorry for good faithful priest who feel beat down by their spiritual Father. Many of the priests I talk to, who are many, suffer from low morale because of Francis. Rarely does he compliment or build up or console priest, rather he just continually beats them down. As Psalm 109 says, "May his days be few; may another take his place".
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DeleteWhat I found shocking is that local parishes charge $300 for confirmation classes. There are all kinds of requirements, including a retreat. That seems excessive.
ReplyDeleteBecause a lot of people want to get married at the Cathedral but don't plan to make it their parish, and a wedding includes a wedding planner, cantor and organist, the cost is significantly higher for those who aren't members of the parish.
One local parish, known for its music, includes a statement in its bulletin that marriage there is for parishioners who have been financially supporting the place for 2 yrs, so no deciding you want to get married there without that; an acquaintance thinks her son should be exempt because she knows the pastor.
Someone recently sold my name to a bunch of Catholic charities and I now have enough rosaries to last me past the Second Coming, enough Christmas cards to mail to every bishop in North America, South America and Africa (for 3 years in a row) and more Catholic guilt heaped on me than I deserve. I took the return envelope for every single charity and wrote them a polite note asking them to please remove my name from their mailing list. It's nice when it's a prepaid envelope but it was still worth a buck per stamp for those I had to pay for myself.
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ReplyDeleteNah, you know, I deleted it. If that’s what your observation is, that’s what it is. I can confidently say that it hasn’t been my experience out here in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
ReplyDeleteAnd here’s an almost weekly conversation:
ReplyDelete“I’d like to have a mass said. How much does it cost?”
“We don’t charge for masses. A free will donation is entirely at your discretion but it’s not required at all.”
Them, irritated: “But how MUCH do people usually give?”
Me, unfazed: “there’s no charge. Really.”
Another thing that always always happens: whenever the pastor gets cash or checks he always always hands it over to the parish. I don’t know what it’s like out in St. Paul-Minneapolis, but a pastor gets bounced quicker for pocketing funds than he does for just about anything else. For what it’s worth and your mileage may vary, of course.
Cathedral asks for $5 for mass. Weekly they ask for 1 hr of worship, 1 hr of volunteer time and 1 hr of wages. I know that half of registered parishioners don't provide financial support, a quarter give less than $200/yr and the rest is given by the remaining quarter.
DeleteHowever, I know some people who register as parishioners at multiple places because they want to know what's going on or because there are events which are free to parishioners and others pay for. No idea how many that would account for.
I think some believe that the Vatican's alleged deep pockets support the parishes so no need for them to contribute.
Others think that everything at church should be free to them, not realizing that the heat bill is enormous. Or caring.
There may be a"Free" basket for rosaries, medals etc. that you receive in begging letters in your church. If not, start one.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to priests, it costs a ton to put men through seminary. Local fundraiser was for funding for one priest and $120k. Costs are shared between diocese and parish for our men. Other U.S. dioceses send men at their expense. Our gift to the Church is to educate African, South American and Carribean seminarians. Some people get upset at that.
ReplyDeleteThe pastor at my parish encourages tithing - his vision is that if we all can tithe we can one day have the school tuition free. He's very good about fund raising - setting goals like free tuition. He says he has seen it work in parishes in Texas. I think he is very much in line with what Pope Francis says about these things.
ReplyDeleteTithing is great, but a huge adjustment in thought process for many. Great that he wants to have free tuition. Is that for parishi9ners or for all?
ReplyDeleteI know someone who hot mad at the church when he joined and enrolled his daughter in the school. They let him know that he was expected to support the parish financially. He didn't realize that people commonly join par8shed for the tuition break, with no plan to actually go to church regularly.
I think he wants the school open to all, even non-parishioners. Not sure.
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