Sufficient for restitution?

[billpenn]

I want to make monetary restitution for a # of past acts. My confessor said that I could make donations to charities or the poor box in an amount equal to the restitution I feel I need to make.

My parish just initiated a fund-raising campaign (actually, the NY Archdiocese - Parish keeps something like 80% of what is raised in that Parish). You pledge an amount, make a down payment, and then contribute the rest of your pledge over a 3 - 5 yr period…

Is this sufficient restitution (substituting contribution to this fundraising campaign as opposed to the poorbox or charities).

I want to pledge an amount that is about 2x the amount of resititution I was going to distribute.

Thanks all!

 

[I_A]

Did he specify a type of charity or did he leave it open ended? For example you need to make a monetary restitution to a charity to support the poor, or you need to make restitution to a certain group? If not I think it would be up to your discretion who you would donate to.

 

[CRW]

I want to make monetary restitution for a # of past acts. My confessor said that I could make donations to charities or the poor box in an amount equal to the restitution I feel I need to make.

My parish just initiated a fund-raising campaign (actually, the NY Archdiocese - Parish keeps something like 80% of what is raised in that Parish). You pledge an amount, make a down payment, and then contribute the rest of your pledge over a 3 - 5 yr period…

Is this sufficient restitution (substituting contribution to this fund raising campaign as opposed to the poorbox or charities).

I want to pledge an amount that is about 2x the amount of resititution I was going to distribute.

Thanks all!

CCC # 2487: Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even it its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another reputation. This reparation, moral, and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of damaged inflicted. It obliges in conscience.

What is the parish initiated fund-raising campaign for? A new building? This is a hard one and IMHO I would discuss this with the priest, if possible, only to have a very clear conscience later. God Bless

 

[billpenn]

CCC # 2487: Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even it its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another reputation. This reparation, moral, and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of damaged inflicted. It obliges in conscience.

What is the parish initiated fund-raising campaign for? A new building? This is a hard one and IMHO I would discuss this with the priest, if possible, only to have a very clear conscience later. God Bless

I think it is for the general needs of the parish - I am sure that building maintenance/construction would be included in there somewhere.

I think I suggested the poorbox to my confessor, and said it would be OK.

 

[CRW]

CCC # 2487: Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even it its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another reputation. This reparation, moral, and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of damaged inflicted. It obliges in conscience.

What is the parish initiated fund-raising campaign for? A new building? This is a hard one and IMHO I would discuss this with the priest, if possible, only to have a very clear conscience later. God Bless

I think it is for the general needs of the parish - I am sure that building maintenance/construction would be included in there somewhere.

I think I suggested the poorbox to my confessor, and said it would be OK.

Yes that would be following the advice of the priest but I though your question was that you now want to give 2X the amount, you would have given to your parish fund raising instead of the poor box.

 

[billpenn]

That’s right…I guess I want to know if I contribute 2x what I planned to put into the poorbox to my parish (I can handle it because it is a downpayment and then annual amounts over 3 - 5 years until you’ve met your pledge…an “installment plan”) is that OK, given that I suggested the poorbox and my confessor said that that was OK.

I mean, I guess I could have suggested giving the restitution to the parish (this was many months before I knew about this fundraising campaign).

Yes that would be following the advice of the priest but I though your question was that you now want to give 2X the amount, you would have given to your parish fund raising instead of the poor box.

 

[mosher]

You are fine. Don’t get to scrupulous about this. Even if you gave the money to the parish for the electrical bill it would be sufficient.