Posted on 11/07/2013 2:31:36 PM PST by Weiss White
Q1: Im going to be a bridesmaid in my friends wedding she and her fiancé met with the pastor to discuss the wedding preparations, and he insisted they have to pay the parish a hefty sum in order to get married there. They were horrified, because it feels like the priest is blackmailing them, if they dont pay it, they cant get married! Can a priest actually charge fees for marrying people? Caitlin
Q2: My elderly mother mailed a check to [some missionary priests] and asked them to celebrate a Mass for my late father. They returned the check and told her that the suggested offering for a Mass is more than she wrote the check for. I dont see why, if its just an offering, and the amount is suggested, they refused to take what she sent them. What if somebody wants to request a Mass but really cant afford the suggested offering, arent they required to say the Mass anyway? David
A: The connection between these two questions should be obvious. Both involve the issue of financial remuneration in exchange for spiritual benefits, which in certain circumstances (as here) can become a touchy subject! Lets take a look at the whole rationale behind the notion of paying for the celebration of a Mass or for conferring a sacrament, and then see what canon law has to say about it.
(Excerpt) Read more at canonlawmadeeasy.com ...
You wanna use my pretty church and it’s electricity and heat for your wedding, give a gift out of respect. If you attended mass on any sort of regular basis, you’d understand that. We have collections every other week to pay off the debt, and for structural improvements.
It would be so much better if you would post the entire article. It’s OK.
Here’s the answer to one of the questions from the article.
**But when an offering is made for the celebration of a wedding, a baptism, or a funeral, the final destination of the money can vary. In some parts of the world, the requested offering for a wedding or funeral Mass might include payment for the services of the parish organist, and/or a gift for each of the altar servers.**
Additionally our church has a wedding coordinator who would get some of the money.
For funerals, the Master of Ceremonies for the Liturgy might also get some of the stipend as well as the vocalist, organist and Rosary leader.
IT’S NOT A PURSE, IT’S EUROPEAN!
Exactly. The fee is for the use of the church and perhaps other parish facilities, not for the Sacrament of Matrimony. If the couple wished to exchange their vows quietly in the day chapel, with the secretary and the DRE as witnesses, no doubt the “stipend” would be truly a token amount.
For those who slept through school, the selling of “Indulgences” caused the Protestant Revolution.
A case can be made tthat teh Catholic Church didn’t get the message.
PS SOme Catholic should tell the Pope and his subordinates about a great American idea “Paying it forward.”
Not charging can pay well, as the man who insisted on refusing money when he changed a man’s tire discovered.
Seems Bill Gates payed off his home mortgage.
If the Church just married those who wanted a Church wedding, it is easy to imagine future members, donations, bequests.
Too bad too many in the Church hierarchy seemingly are unaware of such a “Christian” idea.
First of all, there is no mention of Canon 947:
Can. 947 Any appearance of trafficking or trading is to be excluded entirely from the offering for Masses.
When an offering is given and it doesn't meet the "MSRP", then trading is occurring. Secondly, Can 1264°2 establishes an upper limit on the amount that can be requested for administering a sacrament / sacramental:
2/ to set a limit on the offerings on the occasion of the administration of sacraments and sacramentals.
It doesn't set a price list (as the cited blog post implies).
As stated in the New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law,
The import of number two is that provincial bishops are to set a limit above which it is not permissible to request an offering, though voluntary offerings in excess of the limit may be accepted.
No, it would NOT be “so much better.” It would be illegal, because it would violate copyright law.
Only the sites listed on the copyright list on FR are prohibited.
Check it out.
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