Buisiness & Church

[carn]

Recently i had some discussion about whether the church could be called a sort of buisiness enterprise selling spiritual stuff (hope, nice religious shows, promise of salvation and the other usual stuff) in exchange for money. I think that due to church doctrine that is tecnically impossible.

I remember reading somewhere, that selling stuff that the church only posses because Jesus gave it to her (e.g. absolution ans the other sacraments) is absolutely against any believe held by the church. Wouldn’t this mean that any christian trying to earn money that way would be excommunicated the moment he decided to act so?

Thats relevant, because excommunicated christians automatically lose all offices.

E.g. if a prist decides to put a sign up “Body of Christ for sale 1 piece 10, 50 pieces 400 + 10 liter holy water” he would no longer be a priest. And if the bishop gets notive of this and reacts with a “Good idea, do it at every church.” he is no bishop any longer.

That would mean, that the church cannot be in its core aspects a busieness enterprise because any member of the clerigy acting so would no longer be a member, leaving only those, which do not do it for money (In worst case leaving none, but still church would not be about making money).

Is this correct?

Is this to some extent true for non-sacremental issues, e.g. organizing pilgrimages or running cloisters or social organizations?

 

[geekborj]

Recently i had some discussion about whether the church could be called a sort of buisiness enterprise selling spiritual stuff (hope, nice religious shows, promise of salvation and the other usual stuff) in exchange for money. I think that due to church doctrine that is tecnically impossible.

I remember reading somewhere, that selling stuff that the church only posses because Jesus gave it to her (e.g. absolution ans the other sacraments) is absolutely against any believe held by the church. Wouldn’t this mean that any christian trying to earn money that way would be excommunicated the moment he decided to act so?

Thats relevant, because excommunicated christians automatically lose all offices.

E.g. if a prist decides to put a sign up “Body of Christ for sale 1 piece 10, 50 pieces 400 + 10 liter holy water” he would no longer be a priest. And if the bishop gets notive of this and reacts with a “Good idea, do it at every church.” he is no bishop any longer.

That would mean, that the church cannot be in its core aspects a busieness enterprise because any member of the clerigy acting so would no longer be a member, leaving only those, which do not do it for money (In worst case leaving none, but still church would not be about making money).

Is this correct?

Is this to some extent true for non-sacremental issues, e.g. organizing pilgrimages or running cloisters or social organizations?

It is a question of whether the “selling” is for financial PROFIT or just because the finances are necessary for the pilgrimages and “running” and maintaining the convents/cloisters/churches. One cannot hold organization activities without electric bills, etc., right? But as when the priests/ministers SELL their spiritual services, that’s obvious PROFIT and that’s obviously wrong as the Church has said.

In business terms, the Church is simply not describable in terms of any business models available, otherwise, the whole Creation would fit to a business model! What would God profit from it if not simply to share the Love that He is?

 

[carn]

It is a question of whether the “selling” is for financial PROFIT or just because the finances are necessary for the pilgrimages and “running” and maintaining the convents/cloisters/churches. One cannot hold organization activities without electric bills, etc., right? But as when the priests/ministers SELL their spiritual services, that’s obvious PROFIT and that’s obviously wrong as the Church has said.

In business terms, the Church is simply not describable in terms of any business models available, otherwise, the whole Creation would fit to a business model! What would God profit from it if not simply to share the Love that He is?

Does selling spritual services mean automatic excummincation?
Is this somewhere in church laws and have there been actual cases?

Im interested in the written rules and not whether or not it is sensible from a catholic point of view, as the discussion was about the application of some state laws and from a legal point of view Gods existence is of no relevance for the status of the church. Only the legal contracts between the church and state, the behavior of the church and the rules of the church are then relevant.
If the latter explicitely forbid the church or its officials to make profit with part of or the whole “product portfolio” of the church, then the church would legally have to considered a non-profit organization like any other organization, whose rules forbid making profit.