Questions on Parish Support vs. Giving to Catholic Apostolate

[pittsburghjeff]

I havent seen this topic discussed here in great detail before, but I wanted to throw around some questions and hopefully get some insightful feedback.

Let’s just assume that a family decides that all they can afford to give to the Church for parish support is $20 a month. The same family also donates a little here and there to other prolife charities and political candidates like Alan Keyes. The point is that that family is “giving until it hurts” as we are all called to do.

Now, along comes Catholic Answers with a fabulous voter’s guide and they need money to publish it in the USA Today. And then Catholics for a Free Choice decides to try and intimidate CA by filing a frivoulous lawsuit.

Is is proper if, after searching one’s conscience, to divert some of the money budgeted for parish support and give it Catholic Answers? Say give the parish only $15 a month and CA $5 a month. Or just skip giving to the parish for a couple of months and give it to CA?

Thoughts?

 

[Brendan]

pittsburghjeff:

Is is proper if, after searching one’s conscience, to divert some of the money budgeted for parish support and give it Catholic Answers? Say give the parish only $15 a month and CA $5 a month. Or just skip giving to the parish for a couple of months and give it to CA?

Thoughts?

One is called to support ones parish, but the level is set by your means.

Pray on it. If that’s where you conscience guides you, and it is not in conflict with the Church (which it is not), it is proper.

try and help out at your parish with your time, if that is possible.

( as I sit writing out a check to Karl for the same purpose)

 

[KCT]

Agree-- give where you feel called. As long as you support your parish, you should have no guilt about supporting other good organizations as well. —KCT

 

[dhgray]

The Catholic Church does not require a “tithe” of any percentage of income or any other source. As stated in The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the precepts of the Church maintain that, “The faithful have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities” (CCC #2034). So if you feel the Lord is calling you to split your $20 betwen the Church and Catholic Answers, do so.

 

[otm]

And keep in mind that time is money. There is much you can do in just about any parish in terms of volunteer work; and often that i s harder to give than cash; it means disrupting schedules, doing things you may not like, and at times with people you do not like. But it is valuable to the parish, as well as yourself.