Sacramentals being used to benefit the church

[midori]

For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”),
sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

One guy who put it at the Apostles’ feet lied about it. He didn’t need to give it all, and he didn’t— but he claimed all the proceeds were being gifted. So it wasn’t his lack-of-generosity he was punished for, but it was his public lie/pretense at generosity.

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.
Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

 

[neener3672]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on this. I think there are several issues at play here other than just offering the items for sponsorship. My parish is the largest in our Diocese. We are located in a very affluent area of the city. Due to changes in the leadership structure of our parish as well as the people our pastor has put into these positions, many of our most valued volunteers and parishioners have left the church or are pulling their financial giving until they see change. The pastor refuses to talk to the laity. He is sticking with his decisions. It is a power struggle. Giving is way down. So, I see this as a way to get someone to cover the cost of something, but also to make those feel guilty whom he has hurt. I could be wrong on that, and I shouldn’t judge, but based on my encounters with him and his failure to stop the pride issues going on within our leadership, I don’t have much faith and trust in him. It’s a sad situation. I believe this sponsorship will lead to more leaving as they will see it not as something beneficial to the parish. Thank you again and please say a little prayer for our parishioner as well as our clergy.

 

[rightness]

What’s the difference between doing something because it’s helpful/useful/needs to be done, versus doing something because you want to see your name in the bulletin?

The same thing gets done either way— but you’re ascribing Motivation B to everyone who’s participating with Motivation A in mind.

Because Jesus would warn against such a practice in Matthew 6:1-4. Such practice leads to Pride, and Pride is Satan’s work.

No, they’re not! Mass intentions are made public all the time. Pick up your parish’s bulletin when you get a chance. I’m sure you’ll find not only for whom the Masses are being offered, but also by whom.

No more so than Mass intentions have done “for thousands of years”.

I think there is some confusion. First, I was talking about Sunday offering, tithing, not stipend, so it’s my bad on that. Second, Mass/Prayer intentions do not require a donation, and they haven’t required donation since the early church. Even if someone donated for Mass Intention, the amount is not shown on the bulletin. This is not the same as what we’re talking about where people get to have their name put on sacramentals for a known, fixed amount.

That’s your take on it. Nothing in Scripture suggests that this was the case.

Again, this isn’t “Bible Alone” here. Do you think Joseph could have written a cheque, sealed it in an anonymous envelope, and stuck it in Peter’s mailbox? Of course not. It doesn’t exist. Methods of anonymous donations didn’t exist back then. It’s logically impossible for Peter not to know who was giving him vast amounts of coin.

 

[rightness]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on this. I think there are several issues at play here other than just offering the items for sponsorship.

… (shortening for word limit)

Thank you again and please say a little prayer for our parishioner as well as our clergy.

I think the best way to go about it is to stick with your parish, try to convince the other members to come back and try to reconcile, don’t engage in that sacramental sponsor practice. Reform can only be done from within. When abandon, the hope of reform is dimmer. If you want positive effects to happen, you need to talk to the other parishioners to agree not to engage in that sponsor practice, but if the parish needs funding, then increase your Sunday tithing and privately tell the priest that the parishioners choose this way instead. In business, when a certain method of income is failing, the business stops doing it. Hopefully, when no one participates in it, it will just disappear.

I also sense the dangers of clericalism happening. Vatican II specifically addresses the issue of clericalism and involved the laity more in the issues of the parish. Continue to try to persuade the priest, bring more parishioners, and if he still refuses to work with you, then you go to the archdiocese. I say this because this is what Jesus says in Matthew 18:15-17.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Also, recall the Sins of Simony, and the forbidding of selling of Blessed Sacramentals. Although the items for sponsorship are probably not blessed prior to selling, it is a dangerous practice to implement which tempts the Sins of Simony.

Read CCC 2118, 2139, 2121.

And as I pointed out earlier, the misunderstanding of “selling” of indulgences led to Martin Luther’s reformation, then the Council of Trent would forbid indulgences to be gain through donation. If anything, this should make it very clear to the priest as you have said, many parshioners, volunteers, have left because of him.

 

[Gorgias]

Even if someone donated for Mass Intention, the amount is not shown on the bulletin.

That’s because there’s a normative, fixed amount. $10, where I live.

 

[rightness]

That’s because there’s a normative, fixed amount. $10, where I live.

Then that’s a problem if prayer intentions aren’t free. That’s the Sins of Simony.

The issue is why should one person’s prayer intention be heard because they can afford it over someone who is poor?

 

[Gorgias]

Then that’s a problem if prayer intentions aren’t free. That’s the Sins of Simony.

That’s not true. You might want to read up on the catechism:

2121 Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things. To Simon the magician, who wanted to buy the spiritual power he saw at work in the apostles, St. Peter responded: “Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!” Peter thus held to the words of Jesus: “You received without pay, give without pay.” It is impossible to appropriate to oneself spiritual goods and behave toward them as their owner or master, for they have their source in God. One can receive them only from him, without payment.

2122 The minister should ask nothing for the administration of the sacraments beyond the offerings defined by the competent authority, always being careful that the needy are not deprived of the help of the sacraments because of their poverty." The competent authority determines these “offerings” in accordance with the principle that the Christian people ought to contribute to the support of the Church’s ministers. “The laborer deserves his food.”

 

[rightness]

rightness:

Then that’s a problem if prayer intentions aren’t free. That’s the Sins of Simony.

That’s not true. You might want to read up on the catechism:

2121 Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things. To Simon the magician, who wanted to buy the spiritual power he saw at work in the apostles, St. Peter responded: “Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!” Peter thus held to the words of Jesus: “You received without pay, give without pay.” It is impossible to appropriate to oneself spiritual goods and behave toward them as their owner or master, for they have their source in God. One can receive them only from him, without payment.

2122 The minister should ask nothing for the administration of the sacraments beyond the offerings defined by the competent authority, always being careful that the needy are not deprived of the help of the sacraments because of their poverty." The competent authority determines these “offerings” in accordance with the principle that the Christian people ought to contribute to the support of the Church’s ministers. “The laborer deserves his food.”

Uh yes exactly, you are buying prayer intentions.

It’s only a donation if there’s no fixed amount.

 

[Gorgias]

Uh yes exactly, you are buying prayer intentions.

It’s only a donation if there’s no fixed amount.

One hopes you read the entire quote: “The minister should ask nothing for the administration of the sacraments beyond the offerings defined by the competent authority… [who] determines these ‘offerings’”.

So… no: not ‘buying’, but ‘supporting ministers’, and since the competent authority determines the offering, it’s a ‘fixed amount’.

 

[Jen95]

I think the difference between the lamp and statues that are donated and recognized, is that statues are an extra, not a requirement. So it seems weird to me that the basic necessities are bought and paid for by individuals (wine, the hosts, the lamp). Shouldn’t these just be basics that come out of the parish budget? If someone wants to donate a stained glass window or a statue, that seems different, because it’s not a basic necessity for the Mass or for the parish.
I think your priest is trying to make a point “see, donations are down so much that we can’t even afford the basics for Mass”.