Tithe, what to spend it on?

[Marek]

Hi,

In following the Catholic faith better, I started tithing about three years ago. However, I have been unable to find sound advice as to what the tithe can be spent on.

I asked priests and friends and none of them had a solid idea. They did ask what I do with the money, and they all agreed that those are good uses, but I’m not convinced.

Some of the money went to charity, some went to collections at the parish, some went to friends in need (if they paid back, it went back to the tithe account), some of it went to supporting good works in my neighborhood (both closer and farther).

I did read up on this topic and there seems to be no consensus on what tithe can be spent on. In the teachings of John Chrysostom, charity is not a luxury nor even a choice, but it’s a duty towards the less fortunate. Intuitively, tithe, is a bare minimum and charity should be from material goods that’s freely available (after deducting tithe).

What are your thoughts on this matter?

 

[Convert3]

A tithe can be in the form of donations to the parish, a Catholic charity, or another charity that you choose to support. It can also be done by serving in some manner, such as being a Catechist, working at fundraisers, working a soup kitchen, bringing communion to shut ins, and many other things. Our priest recommended to my RCIA class to give 5% to support the parish and archdiocese, and another 5% to support programs of our choice. There are many ways to tithe, and that’s why they aren’t specific. It comes from your heart.

 

[TheLittleLady]

A tithe means 10%. People who tithe to the Church give 10% of their income to the Church.

Sometimes people call any donations to a Church “a tithe” but that is not really accurate.

Donate to your parish, to charities, to the Diocese, wherever you feel led.

 

[Marek]

I transfer 10% of my income, rounded up to a separate account. It also includes my salary, bonuses, overtime and tax returns.
I also support charities and give to my parish out of pocket, not from this account.

The motivation behind my question is that I read conflicting suggestions what to spend tithe on. One suggestion was to give all to collections for the parish and the diocese, another was to give it to charity. There was yet another source that suggested, among other things, spending tithe on a retreat. Since it’s mine and my wife’s intention to go to retreat anyway, so taking from the tithe seems a bit selfish and that was one thing that my friends and priests agreed on.

It’s just that with so many opinions, I was hoping there could be a more definitive answer.

 

[HumbleIOughtToBe]

Tithe strategy: Rather than tithe 10% per year and donate that year, tithe 10% per year and place it in the stock market, let it grow faster than inflation and have a legally binding clause that upon your death it goes to {List of charities} in {List of percentages}.

 

[Annie]

There is no one way to answer your question.

For example, I once lived in a parish with a lot of higher-income people. I would feel comfortable giving less of my 10% to the church and more to the poor.

Then I went to a parish with less money, and there were things that needed to be done to the building itself. So more to the church.

It is a Church precept that we support the Church, so to me, that comes first.

And we should not forget distant parts of the Church; in fact, many US parishes help “sister” parishes in other parts of the world.

But it is also very important to help the poor.

 

[Patri]

Tithes are not preached here in my country (though we do understand it is our duty to support the church). So I don’t know that there is a strict 10% rule. I do wonder if helping out family members and people that reach out counts?

 

[Marek]

Tithe as such is frowned upon and misunderstood. It’s not preached here, either, but I found that it is a solid basis for allocating funds to help out the poor.
When there are articles on tithe in Catholic press, they frequently point out that none of your material possessions are yours to begin with, so a tenth of your income should be just the beginning.

 

[Patri]

When there are articles on tithe in Catholic press, they frequently point out that none of your material possessions are yours to begin with, so a tenth of your income should be just the beginning.

True, all we have belongs to God but I had not thought we were required a specific %. But to always try to do our best. As in not considered a sin if one does not give 10%

 

[signit]

As another poster said, we are obligated to give some to support of our Church. We’re Catholics; that’s our responsibility; others don’t contribute to it.

The traditional 10% figure is not strictly required; for someone of limited means, it may be less; for someone else it may be more.

Speaking solely for myself, I believe that who I give it to and how much is a matter between me and God. I might choose to give something to a charity because it’s in my town or in my area or for some other reason because I might think it’s part of my unique responsibility; I wouldn’t expect someone else to give to it.