Exactly. None of the faithful should enjoy anything in violation of the boundaries of virtue, but especially not a priest. Those boundaries aren’t so narrow as to forbid all alcohol use by priests excepting requiring it at Mass. (In a way, boundaries like that would be nonsensical.)Of course it wouldn’t be wrong. Obviously not to excess, but it’s fine to have more than a drink or two if the situation is, let us say, more festive. Prudence and diligence are our friends.
The level at which reflexes and reaction time are impaired is far below any level that would reasonably be described as “drunk.” (and this is a major factor in the problem with DUI . . .)I think it’d be wise for them not to drink to the point of being unable to drive, right? The church teaches that drunkenness is a sin, afterall.
Well I thought it was from the collection plate. I didn’t realize until reading this that they get a salary from the diocese. So, yes, I said that. I was wrong. You seem upset about it. Don’t we all make mistakes?!Honestly? Not just in public, but online, for all the world to see, you referred to a priest’s salary as “collection-plate money”?
What a priest does with his paycheck is his own business, for the most part. As long as a priest is being responsible with his money and has a certain degree of modesty in his way of life, there’s no reason he can’t go out and buy a nice Scotch every once in a while, for example. Priests can occasionally enjoy some of the good things in this life too, you know.Afterall they can’t exactly go buy it themselves could they? I think that’d Look sort of tacky to be spending collection-plate money on booze…
I believe that it is the parish that mostly supports the priest, at least salary-wise. Although the diocese supports priests in other ways (insurance, etc.)Well I thought it was from the collection plate. I didn’t realize until reading this that they get a salary from the diocese. So, yes, I said that. I was wrong. You seem upset about it. Don’t we all make mistakes?!
Oh yes I’m sure he can! My comment was just for the priest. I felt that since he was essentially living off the charity of his parishioners (so I thought) he might be embarrassed to be seen buying fancy alcohol. If I was living off donations I think I’d feel self conscious if any of my donors saw me buying things beyond the essentials. But that’s just me I suppose.. As long as a priest is being responsible with his money and has a certain degree of modesty in his way of life, there’s no reason he can’t go out and buy a nice Scotch every once in a while, for example. Priests can occasionally enjoy some of the good things in this life too, you know.
Well I figured that’s what he did - took what he needed from whatever was collected & the rest went to upkeep of the church or the poor. So I figured it’d be awkward for him to buy his own alcohol or anything else “splurge-y.” I was wrong. I’m kind of glad… although I now see my priest as more of an “employee” and less of a person dependent on what I give every Sunday. I have family members in religious orders and they LITERALLY depend on donations & sales of whatever is in the gift shop. It’s very moving to see. And when one of those family members was visiting he wouldn’t let us take him out to a nice dinner because he felt it could give scandal to the other patrons at the restaurant. He said he represents The Church and needs to be seen identifying with the poor, not eating well in a restaurant. I was impressed. But I suppose not every priest takes that approach. The salary piece explains better why.First, what you originally said made it sound like the priest was just grabbing some money out of the collections for his own use, so it looked bad.
Well interesting. I thought of priests as poor I guess & thought the Sunday basket was like giving to charity. Sounds like it’s not. I’m actually a bit irritated I never knew this.Second, if the parish does pay its own priest, as seems to happen in some dioceses, then the collection plate money would go into the general funds of the parish and then part would be distributed to those who work for the parish as their pay, so the priest would not be “living off the charity of his parishioners,” so he should not be embarrassed to buy whatever he wants, as long as it is moral.
It depends on the diocese I suppose. In my diocese the parishes pay their priest’s salary.Diocesan priest receive a salary from the Dioceses.
They are not mandated to take vows of poverty and can build up wealth for themselves.
Priest in Religious Orders, like Carmelites and Franciscans, do make vows of poverty.
It must be diocese by diocese. In our diocese the parish pays the cathedraticum of 10%, 8% to the diocese and 2% to the retired priests fund. We also pay our priest’s salary the amount mandated by the diocese for all priests serving as Pastors (few of those) or Administrators (more of those). In our parish we have no other employee.In my home diocese, the priest was paid by the diocese. The pastor’s salary did not appear on the parish budget, just the salaries of any lay employees. The parish contributed the cathedral tax or whatever’s it’s called… not sure if that’s true Canada wide or diocese by diocese.