If YOU could.change the Catholic Church

[LittleFlower]

But my “anecdotes” are personal experience, not hearsay, and consistent with the mission of the Church. But yes, let’s leave the readers to judge the matter.

So are mine. Yours come from a relative, mine from a friend. What is the difference?

Again, calling my anecdote a hearsay is insulting. Also my anecdote has a happy ending, after two priests refusing, they found one that did lower the price.

There is no way to solve this other than actually calling random parishes and asking for their price.

 

[Rau]

Yours come from a relative, mine from a friend. What is the difference?

One from my sister, one from me personally. Fairly “personal” I think. You could ask your local parish priest. Perhaps I’ll do the same.

Also my anecdote has a happy ending, after two priests refusing, they found one that did lower the price.

Why would there be a need to “priest shop”. Most Catholics marry in their (usually the bride’s) local suburban parish where they are regular Mass attenders and well known, and where (in all but rare cases) the cost is minimal.

 

[LittleFlower]

Most Catholics marry in their local suburban parish where they are well known, and where (in all but rare cases) the cost is minimal.

I was released from marrying in my local parish by my parish priest, and I know he charged $800 for the church and $300 for himself. I married in a different parish in a different city for family reasons.

 

[DarkLight]

To expand on my earlier comment about confession: greater awareness that not everyone has a 9-5 M-F schedule. I have spent many a time waiting weeks for confession because of the difficulty of scheduling it outside of Saturday afternoon. Holy days can be difficult when masses are scheduled either early morning or in the evening (leaving a choice between going to Mass on 4h of sleep, or missing work). Most any program that has any sort of training, is also going to be held on a Saturday afternoon - I couldn’t be an EMHC or altar server because I couldn’t attend the training. I’m lucky my parish priest gave me a wavier for RCIA because I would have had no way to attend that either.

I know there’s a lot of practical difficulties here, and things tend to end up scheduled when most people can make it. But it can still feel very isolating when there’s all this stuff going on and you can’t get to any of it.

 

[Rau]

USCCB on “Cost of Catholic Weddings”:

How Much Does it Cost to Marry in the Church? - For Your Marriage

The details are just as one would expect. For example:

“Traditionally, the couple makes a donation to the church in which they are married. Sometimes an amount—or a range—is suggested, but often it’s left to the discretion of the couple. If the bride or groom or both are registered parishioners, the suggested amount may be minimal, or none. The assumption is that they are already supporting the parish with their regular financial contributions.”

" In no case, however, should financial circumstances prevent a couple from approaching the Church for marriage."

“Some couples marry in a historic chapel or church. Keep in mind that wedding donations can be an important source of support for older buildings.”

If any person is presented with a “demand” for money to be married in their local suburban parish (and for other than real expenses, if any), that would be a serious matter.

 

[LittleFlower]

If any person is presented with a “demand” for money to be married in their local suburban parish (and for other than real expenses, if any), that would be a serious matter.

That is what’s happening, what I have been saying the entire time. Not lowering the fee is a demand and yes, it is a serious matter.

But heck, this thread is about more than my problem with this issue.

 

[LittleFlower]

To expand on my earlier comment about confession: greater awareness that not everyone has a 9-5 M-F schedule.

I fully understand that. My local parish has its weekly confession time on Saturday or per appointment. But how many times I’ve turned up and the priest hasn’t been there is a bit embarrassing. I would be fuming if I had to take off work and that would happen.

Here a lot of parish groups meet during the week at 10am, which means most of the working population can’t participate.

 

[PJM]

That dear friend, is NOT a UNIVERSAL demand

GBY

 

[PJM]

For the sake of discussion:

What Worldwide organization serving 1 BILLION Plus people is not

 

[PJM]

Yea, as the OP me TOOpen_mouth:

I WONDER if their BISHOP knows about this?

 

[Lara]

I would require couples who want to marry to study NFP and pass a test on it, not just give them a brochure at the marriage preparation course.

 

[Rau]

I WONDER if their BISHOP knows about this?

For the Cathedrals and historical buildings - sure, and it’s justified. For one’s own local suburban parish…I suggest not, because if it ($1000 - “take it or leave it”) were to happen, and be reported, it would soon stop happening.

 

[DarkLight]

I fully understand that. My local parish has its weekly confession time on Saturday or per appointment. But how many times I’ve turned up and the priest hasn’t been there is a bit embarrassing. I would be fuming if I had to take off work and that would happen.

Yeah, I’ve pointed out on other threads that bus schedules are a thing. I’ve had times where I can arrive either 90min before confession starts, or 30min after. And there was nowhere to wait prior to the church being opened and it was cold in winter. I’m not overly inclined to stand around in below freezing on a regular basis.

Here a lot of parish groups meet during the week at 10am, which means most of the working population can’t participate.

Oh yeah that always drove me nuts. Especially women’s groups.

 

[Sir2v4]

I don’t know enough about the church in Australia to understand those fees. I think it is fair to support the clergy, although I admit $1000 seems steep. The sacraments cannot be compared to ‘labor’ like flipping burgers. My neighbor’s 60 year old son got married for the first time to a Lutheran woman, in the Lutheran church, one, because the minister was friendlier, and, two, it cost less than the Catholic church

 

[Sir2v4]

Our cathedral just had a $ 4.5 million remodel job, and they did not have a screen for the confessional, which is a penitent’s option, supposedly.

 

[abucs]

How would I change the Catholic Church? First I’d get it to be a lot more pro-active in trumpeting the historical outcomes of Christian civilisation. Secondly I’d be honest enough to say that capitalism has been one of the greatest forces in history to help the poor and look to champion capitalism, especially in poorer countries like the Philippines, south and central Americas and central Africa.

 

[redbaron162]

Assuming we aren’t talking about the teachings of the Church since they are guided by the Holy Spirit and we are talking more about the human element…

As a convert myself I would like to see Catholics as a whole more enthusiastic and committed to being…Catholic. It seems like half the Catholics I know keep trying to change the Church into a quasi protestant vision instead of valuing Catholic history, art, teachings, and architecture.

 

[whyeyeman]

Make it compulsory for all priests to learn the extraordinary form of the mass and ban contemporary music masses.

 

[pnewton]

It’s vanity to think that any one of us can or should change what Christ Himself put forth.

The things that men have done in the past to confound people?

Let it go to history and move on.

Same here. God in his wisdom has kept me out of the papacy.

 

[Wandile]

So?

Traveling and saying mass is and additional stress. Never mind family life and his job. And praying the liturgy of the hours strictly. lastly the administering of sacraments which only he can do besides baptism.

It’s very valid.

Just because you say so? Th Eastern Catholic are Catholic yes, but not Latin. Our traditions are different and have different contexts entirely.

“Many” is not an overstatement. Praxis-formed priests would not be a replacement for seminary-formed priests.

There are only 120 in the America. North America has over 37000 priests. “Many” is a massive overstatement of their number.

Withdraw dwindling number of vocations of seminary formed priests and the allure of marriage present amongs so many protective priests… show do you think the idea of waiting until your 50 to get ordained so that you can also be married will affect the vocations to the seminary?? You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. How many after years of marriage would still be interested in the priesthood??

This is a quick fix solution that will only cause more problems than it solves.

You’re simply wrong about this. The first to benefit would be the daily Mass! As it is, there is a great priest shortage in many places. This would help.

Actually no as less priests will be available before the age of 50 as many vocations to the seminary will be lost to the allure of marriage. During marriage some will lose their vocations to the priesthood entirely. Other will pass on along the way when they wait for the priesthood. There might be new vocations here and there but to be honest, their number would be insignificant and most people not wanting to be priests by the adulthood would not want to priests in later adulthood. So there will definitely be less priests.

That makes absolutely no difference at all at the local level. None. Like it or not, it would yield more priests.

It makes perfect sense at the local level. Some priests have Sunday’s filled with them saying mass. Have you seen how dire it is in Europe ??? Some parishes don’t have mass some weeks.

And again this method will not necessarily breed more priests but invariably cause a loss of priests.